About Schenkia spicata (L.) G.Mans.
Schenkia spicata (L.) G.Mans. is an annual herb species belonging to the Gentianaceae family. It has a very broad distribution across the Old World, extending from North Africa through Europe into Asia. This species was first published under the name Gentiana spicata by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species plantarum. It was later moved first into the genus Erythraea, and then into Centaurium, which was previously treated with a broad circumscription that was later discovered to be polyphyletic. In 2004, Centaurium was split into four separate genera, and the species previously classified as C. spicatum was renamed Schenkia spicata. During this 2004 revision, researchers also noted that European and Australian specimens assigned to this species actually represent distinct taxa: all studied Australian specimens were tetraploid, while all studied European specimens were diploid. As a result, Australian specimens were separated into a new species, Schenkia australis.
