Centaurium erythraea, is native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, naturalized in the Americas and Australia. It thrives in grasslands, meadows, dunes, and disturbed soils. This herbaceous biennial typically grows in open habitats, forming low rosettes in its first year and flowering in its second, producing upright stems topped with distinctive clusters of flowers. The flowers are small, usually about 0.3 to 0.6 inches across, with five star-shaped petals in shades of pink to magenta and prominent yellow stamens. They open only in bright light. Historically, it has been used as a digestive tonic, appetite stimulant, and liver aid. Its bitterness was considered to cleanse the blood and stimulate bile flow.