Maltese Rock Centaury

Characteristics

The Maltese Rock Centaury is a purple flowered plant that is native to the Island if Malta. It is a perennial shrub with smooth, fleshy and spatula shaped leaves. Its flower heads grow on singly on stalks, each flower is made of numerous, small individual purple flowers or florets. The leaves the grow around the flower heads are called Bracts and they are smooth with out spikes. Its seeds are equipped with with a parachute like system that helps for them to disperse easily with the wind. Each plants can grow up to 50 cm tall.

Range

It grows mainly on the north western and southern cliffs of the island Malta. Its also grows on the smaller surrounding islands of Gozo and Fungus Rock. It grows ONLY on coastal limestone cliffs and on scree ( Small loose rock debris that is covering a slope) in full sun.

Status and Threats

Its current status on the IUNC red list is Critically Endangered. Out of all the places that this plants lives and grows there is only a little over 1000 individual plants. They reason as to why its is considered under this status is because its restricted range makes it more susceptible to habitat degradation .

Information from: http://www.arkive.org/maltese-rock-centaury/cheirolophus-crassifolius/image-G133530.html

Photo Credit: MaltaWildPlants.com and arkive.org