| Zeltnera venusta | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Gentianaceae |
| Genus: | Zeltnera |
| Species: | Z. venusta |
| Binomial name | |
| Zeltnera venusta (Gray) Mansion |
|
Zeltnera venusta is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name charming centaury and canchalagua. This centaury is native to California and southern Oregon, where it grows in many habitats up to elevations around 1300 meters. It is an annual wildflower rarely reaching half a meter in height. The pointed oval leaves grow opposite on the thin stems. The inflorescence is tipped with one or more showy star-shaped flowers, each with a white-centered magenta corolla about 2 centimeters wide.
Until 2004 it was placed in genus Centaurium as Centaurium venustum.[1]