Centaurea

Centaurea
Centaurea pullata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Subfamily:	Carduoideae
Tribe:	Cardueae
Subtribe:	Centaureinae
Genus:	Centaurea L.
Type species
Centaurea centaurium L.
Diversity
Over 700 species
Synonyms
List Acosta DC. × Acostitrapa Rauschert Acrocentron Cass. Acrolophus Cass. Alophium Cass. Ammocyanus (Boiss.) Dostál Antaurea Neck. Behen Hill Benedicta Bernh. Calcitrapa Heist. ex Fabr. Calcitrapoides Fabr. Carbeni Adans. Carbenia Adans. Cardosanctus Bubani Cestrinus Cass. Chartolepis Cass. Cheirolepis Boiss. Chrysopappus Takht. Cistrum Hill Cnicus L. × Colycea Fern.Casas & Susanna × Colymbacosta Rauschert Colymbada Hill Crepula Hill Cyanus Mill. Cynaroides (Boiss. ex Walp.) Dostál Eremopappus Takht. Erinacella (Rech.f.) Dostál Eriopha Hill Grossheimia Sosn. & Takht. Heraclea Hill Hierapicra Kuntze Hippophaestum Gray Hookia Neck. Hyalea Jaub. & Spach Hymenocentron Cass. Jacea Mill. × Jaceacosta Rauschert × Jaceitrapa Rauschert Lepteranthus Neck. ex Fourr. Leucacantha Nieuwl. & Lunell Leucantha Gray Lopholoma Cass. Melanoloma Cass. Menomphalus Pomel Mesocentron Cass. Microlophus Cass. Paraphysis (DC.) Dostál Pectinastrum Cass. Petrodavisia Holub Phaeopappus (DC.) Boiss. Phalolepis Cass. Philostizus Cass. Phrygia (Pers.) Bosc Piptoceras Cass. Platylophus Cass. Plumosipappus Czerep. Podia Neck. Polyacantha Gray Psora Hill Pterolophus Cass. Pycnocomus Hill Rhacoma Adans. Sagmen Hill. Seridia Juss. Setachna Dulac Solstitiaria Hill Sphaerocephala Hill Spilacron Cass. Staebe Hill Stenolophus Cass. Stephanochilus Coss. ex Maire Tetramorphaea DC. Tomanthea DC. Triplocentron Cass. Veltis Adans. Verutina Cass. Wagenitzia Dostál

Centaurea (/ˌsɛntɔːˈriːə/)^[1] is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding regions are particularly species-rich.