About Centaurea triumfettii subsp. axillaris (Willd. ex Celak.) Stef. & T.Georgiev
Centaurea triumfettii subsp. axillaris, commonly known as squarrose knapweed, is an herbaceous perennial plant. It grows to a height of approximately 30–60 centimetres (12–24 inches). Its leaves are undivided and narrow-lanceolate in shape. Flowering occurs from May to August. The inner flowers of this plant are bright purple, while the outer flowers are azure blue or deep mauve. This subspecies is distributed across Afghanistan, Armenia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and the United States. Centaurea triumfettii grows in dry, sunny locations including deciduous scrub, meadows, and subalpine grass slopes. It prefers chalky soil and thrives at altitudes up to 2000 metres above sea level. It is widespread in the mountains of southern and central Europe, and is occasionally grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks.
