Plant: Annual herb; stems simple or branched at the base, to 70 cm tall, the upper portion often angled and winged Leaves: opposite and sessile, or petioled and in basal rosettes, glabrous, 2-5 cm long, lanceolate to ovate; basal rosette common INFLORESCENCE: cymose Flowers: pedicellate; calyx lobes 7-12 mm long, the tube ca. 1 mm long; corolla pink, rarely white, marcescent, the tube 12-20 mm long, the lobes lanceolate, 8-12 mm long Fruit: cylindric capsules, 8-14 mm long; SEEDS oblong to spherical, finely reticulate Misc: In moist soil and stream beds; 300-1850 m (1000-6100 ft; Feb-Nov References: W. B. McDougall. Seed plants of Northern Arizona. J.C. Hickman, ed. The Jepson Manual. ASU specimens. Mason, Charles T. 1998 Gentianaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. 30(2): 84.

Mason 1998

Duration: Annual Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: A small annual or biennial herb, to 70 cm tall, single stemmed or branching at the base stems angled, winged. Leaves: Two ranked, well-spaced, opposite and sessile or in a basal rosette with short petioles, lanceolate to ovate, 2-5 cm long, glabrous. Flowers: Purple, pink, or white and the calyx tube opening into 5 star-shaped lobes, each lobe with acute or acuminate tips, 7-12 mm long, stamens exserted and having noticeable yellow anthers. Fruits: Fruits are small cylindric capsules, up to 14 mm long, bearing oblong to spherical seeds. Ecology: Found in wet areas and stream beds from 1,000-6,000 ft (305-1829 m); flowers February-November. Notes: The name change to this species is relatively recent, look for it under Centaurium calycosum. This species is somewhat larger in habit than Zeltnera exaltata, generally having more branches, and larger branches and leaves, and much larger calyx lobes (petals). These flowers are usually pinkish-purple with a white throat. Also, this species is thought to be poisonous. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Zeltnera is named after Louis Zeltner (1938- ) and Nicole Zeltner (1934- ), Swiss botanists and biosystematists, whle calycosum means having a full calyx. Synonyms: Centaurium calycosum, Centaurium calycosum var. nanum, Centaurodes calycosum, Erythraea calycosa, Erythraea calycosa var. nana Editor: LCrumbacher, 2011