Centaurea cyanoides

Thanks one more time to Jackie for sharing a photograph and write-up from her travels to Israel. One last reminder that Jackie is speaking next Monday on Black Irises and Red Tulips - Wildflowers of Israel and Jordan. If I can get organized, I may set Jackie up with the laptop that records presentations and accompanying audio for the web, but no guarantee!

Syrian cornflower is a low growing, annual groundcover native to Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The entire plant may reach 10-25cm in height, and the foliage is smooth and silver in colour.

Eventhough Centaurea cyanoides looks similar to the European cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), the Syrian cornflower is much smaller and is only found in the Middle East. The stunning blue inflorcence is produced in spring and early summer, and is only 2-3 cm wide. See the Flora of Israel website for more photographs of Centaurea cyanoides.

Like other members of the Asteraceae (the aster family), the flower head is actually made up of a cluster of tiny flowers called florets, and they are collectively referred to as an inflorescence. These florets are tubular in shape; the inner florets (called disk florets) are fertile, the larger outer florets (or ray florets) are sterile and showy to attract pollinators. The inflorescence sits in a cup-like structure called an involucre, made up of dark, bristly bracts (modified leaves). Ray florets, disk florets, and bristly toothed bracts are features shared by a number of Centaurea species. For a closer look at these interesting flower parts, Microscopy UK provides some lovely and extremely detailed photos of another member of this genus, Centaurea jacea. Posted by: Daniel Mosquin    Source