This annual plant with a Mediterranean distribution is present in Italy, but is localised, especially along the coast, but also along the Po river and in the Brescia area. It grows on muddy, wet, sometimes weakly salty soils, usually near the coast. The species is sporadically appears on the edge of the temporary ponds of Sardinia, in contact with dry grasslands and garrigue vegetation. The genus is dedicated to the German botanist J.A. Schenk (1860-1927); the species name refers to the spike-like shape of the inflorescence. Flowering time: June to October. Syn.: Centaurium spicatum (L.) Fritsch |
