CENTRANTHUS from a spur, and tiveos, a flower), a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Valerianacar. It has a regular 5-lobed corolla with a spur, a single stamen, the fruit I-celled, indehiscent, crowned with the limb of the calyx, expanded into a feathery pappus. The species are smooth herbs with undivided or pinnate leaves, and white or red flowers.
C. ruher, Red-Flowered Spurred Valerian, Red Valerian, has ovate lanceolate leaven, spur much shorter than the tube of the corolla and twice as long as the gerinen. It in a native of Groat Britain, in chalk pits and on old walls. It has purple flowers, and attains a height of one or two feet. It has a sweet scent.
C. Cakitropa has radical leaves, ovate, entire, the atem-leaves pinnatifid, the spur very short. It is a native of the coasts of the Mediterranean, and of the more temperate parts of France. It grows wild at Eltham in Kent, but there is little doubt of its being a naturalised plant there. The first specie*, may have also been
introduced, but It grows wild in many parte of Great Britain. Several other species are described and some are grown in gardens. They are elegant border-flowers, and will grow in any common soil, on walls or rock-work, and may be easily propagated by seed.
(Babington, Manua/ of British Delany.) CENTRA'ItCIIUS, a genus of Fishes belonging to the section A canthoptervii and the family Percirfea, and the subdivision 'with less than seven branchial rays.' In this genus the species have numerous spines in the anal fin ; the tongue is furnished with n group of fine and very thickly-set teeth ; the pro-opereulum is entire ' • the angle of the opereulum is divided into two flat points ; and the body is com pressedand somewhat oval ; they inhabit the rivers of North America. The genus C.vc/ila of some American lehthyologiste is synonymous with the above.