These are the cornflowers and knapweeds, with very characteristic composite heads of long-petalled outer, sterile, florets and a boss of shorter, fertile florets. This array is surrounded by neatly overlapping bracts, hairy at the upper edge. There are hundreds of species of Centaurea in Europe, so identification is often difficult.

Centaurea (Psephellus) karabaghensis comes from the Caucasus, and has rarely been in cultivation. It is rather like the better known Centaurea dealbata, and has grey-hairy leaves and quite tall stems with lots of deep rosy pink flowers.