Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Zeltnera venusta is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name charming centaury and canchalagua. This centaury is native to California and southern Oregon, where it grows in many habitats up to elevations around 1300 meters. It is an annual wildflower rarely reaching half a meter in height. The pointed oval leaves grow opposite on the thin stems. The inflorescence is tipped with one or more showy star-shaped flowers, each with a white-centered magenta (rarely all-white) corolla about 2 centimeters wide.

Plant type

Annual herb

Size

2 ft Tall

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Color

Pink, White

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Sunset Zones

2, 3, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Dry places

Plant communities

Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Foothill Woodland, Yellow Pine Forest