Hebrew: ערבז משובל, Arabic: حشيشة العقرب
| Scientific name: | Centaurium spicatum (L.) Fritsch | |
| Synonym name: | Schenkia spicata (L.) Mansion | |
| Common name: | Spiked Centaury | |
| Hebrew name: | ערבז משובל | |
| Arabic name: | حشيشة العقرب | |
| Family: | Gentianaceae, Gentian family, ערבזיים |
Schenkia spicata (L.) G.Mans. [Centaurium spicatum (L.) Fernald] D.Dodart,vol.1:t.97 (1788)[N.Robert] http://plantillustrations.org/species.php?species=Gentiana+spicata |
| Life form: | Annual or biennial | |
| Spinescence: | Non | |
| Succulence: | Non | |
| Stems: | Usually branched from the base or middle | |
| Leaves: | Smooth, stalkless leaves, 1-3 cm long, elliptical or broadly or narrowly oblong to lanceolate, usually light-green, basal (sometimes forming a rosette) and in pairs on the stems. | |
| Inflorescence: | Flowers in spiciforme cyme | |
| Flowers: | Hermaphrodite; corolla pinkish-purple; stamens inserted at or below the ape of the corolla-tube | |
| Fruits / pods: | Narrow-oblong capsule, enclosed by or slightly longer than, the persistent calyx. | |
| Flowering Period: | May, June, July, August | |
| Habitat: | Batha, Phrygana, Humid habitats | |
| Distribution: | Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands,Shrub-steppes, Semi-steppe shrublands, Deserts | |
| Chorotype: | Med-Irano-Turanian | |
| Summer shedding: | Ephemeral |
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Derivation of the botanical name: Centaurium named after the centaur Chiron, famed in Greek mythology for his skill in medicinal herbs. spicatum, spica, spike, spicata bearing a spike. The Hebrew word: ערבז, arbaz is named by Immanuel Löw (1854 – 1944), a Hungarian rabbi, scholar and politician, following the name of the plant in the Syrian language, in his book "The Flora of the Jews".
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