Centaurea depressa M. Bieb. Fl. Taur. Cauc. 2: 346. 1803; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 3: 385. 1881.

Annual, rarely biennial; stems 15 - 50 cm, branched or simple. Lower leaves oblong, usually entire, rarely pinnatifid, grey tomentose, short petiolate; upper linear-lanceolate, acute, entire or spinuIose mucronulate. Heads ca 1.2 cm across, ovoid. Involucral bracts glabrous, margins scarious, white or brown, toothed; teeth white lanceolate. Outer florets dark blue, spreading; inner violet. Achenes. shining, puberulous, equalling or shorter than the middle row of pappus hairs. Basal areole bearded. Pappus ca 7 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Westwards to Asia minor.