Centaury
Zeltnera (Centaurium) calycosa
Photo taken at Mesquite Wash, about 60 km east of Phoenix, Maricopa Co., Arizona.
FLOWERS: Bright pink-magenta star-shaped flowers with 5 or 6 petals.
Blooming mostly late spring/early summer.
PERENNIAL HERB: Grows in wet soil at rivers, creeks and springs.
LEAVES: Lance shaped and somewhat grass-like.
STEMS: 20 to 40 cm tall.
RANGE: Rare in the Sonoran Desert: restricted to wet soil
such as cienegas