Burke: Zeltnera exaltata

	Zeltnera exaltata
	desert centaury, tall centaury
Habit	Annual, glabrous herbs, the usually simple stems 1-several, 5-25 cm. tall.
Leaves	Basal leaves few to several, not rosette-forming, elliptic-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 5-25 mm. long, 1-veined; cauline leaves opposite, acute, longer and narrower than the basal leaves.
Flowers	Flowers few, often single; pedicels slender, straight and upright, that of the central flower 2-4 cm. long, exceeding the subtending bracts; calyx slender, 6-9 mm. long, the 5 lobes separated nearly to the base; corolla light salmon to nearly white, the slender tube up 1.5 times the length of the calyx, the five lobes widely flaring,. 4 mm. long, lanceolate, truncated; stamens attached halfway in the corolla tube, exerted; anthers only slightly twisted; ovary superior.
Fruits	Capsule 2-valved, nearly twice the length of the calyx.

	Zeltnera exaltata
Flowering time	June-July
Habitat	Moist places, especially around alkaline lakes and hot springs.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the northern Great Plains. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	Z. muehlenbergii
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Zeltnera exaltata

desert centaury, tall centaury

Habit

Annual, glabrous herbs, the usually simple stems 1-several, 5-25 cm. tall.

Leaves

Basal leaves few to several, not rosette-forming, elliptic-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 5-25 mm. long, 1-veined;

cauline leaves opposite, acute, longer and narrower than the basal leaves.

Flowers

Flowers few, often single;

pedicels slender, straight and upright, that of the central flower 2-4 cm. long, exceeding the subtending bracts;

calyx slender, 6-9 mm. long, the 5 lobes separated nearly to the base;

corolla light salmon to nearly white, the slender tube up 1.5 times the length of the calyx, the five lobes widely flaring,. 4 mm. long, lanceolate, truncated;

stamens attached halfway in the corolla tube, exerted;

anthers only slightly twisted;

ovary superior.

Fruits

Capsule 2-valved, nearly twice the length of the calyx.