About Zeltnera venusta (A.Gray) G.Mans.
Zeltnera venusta (A.Gray) G.Mans. is a flowering plant species in the gentian family. It goes by three common names: California centaury, charming centaury, and canchalagua. This centaury is native to most of California, southern Oregon, and northwest Baja California. It grows in a wide range of habitats, at elevations up to around 1300 meters. It is an annual wildflower that rarely reaches 0.5 meters in height. Its pointed oval leaves grow in opposite arrangements along its thin stems. The inflorescence is tipped with one or more showy star-shaped flowers. Each flower has a white-centered magenta corolla that measures roughly 2 centimeters wide. Before 2004, this species was classified in the genus Centaurium under the name Centaurium venustum.
