Twenty-first century centauries: An updated review on Centaurium Hill and Allies (Gentianaceae)

Abstract

Centauries have a long tradition in human medicine and botanical accounts. Early indications of centauries refer to the famous works of Theophraste (fourth century BC), Pline, and Dioscoridis (first century), who dedicated the herb to the Centaur Chiron. First preserved, albeit idealistic, representations date back to the sixth century. Since typification of Gentiana centaurium and Chironia by Linnaeus (1753), the classifications of Centauries were debated by renowned botanists until the end of the twentieth century. This chapter presents an overview of the current and accepted delimitations of centauries, as well as new insights into their taxonomic and evolutionary history.