Citation: Labill., Nov. Holl. Pl. Sp. 1:7 (1804).

Derivation: Greek kentron, spur; lepis, scale; referring to the points on the bracts of C. fascicularis.

Synonymy: Alepyrum R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 253 (1810); Devauxia R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 252 (1810).

Common name: None

Description:
Small annual and perennial herbs; leaves linear, forming a basal tuft; innermost leaf often reduced to a short sheath.

Scapes erect, leafless or absent; inflorescence a head of 1 to numerous sessile pseudanthia enclosed by a more or less opposite pair of herbaceous primary bracts with dilated sheathing bases, often produced beyond the head as leaf-like laminae; pseudanthia each consisting of 2-30 female florets superposed alternately in 2 rows along a vertical axis, usually with a solitary male floret at the base; secondary bracts hyaline, 2 or 3 surrounding each pseudanthium, or absent; ovaries more or less connate, ovoid; styles filiform, connate at least at the base, forming a brush-like bundle, exserted.

Seed ovoid, smooth, pale-brown, translucent.

Distribution:  About 24 species; 19 in Australia, the others in south-eastern Asia, New Guinea and New Zealand. Centrolepis.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Heads sessile among the basal leaves	C. cephaloformis 2.
1. Heads scapose
2. Leaves pilose, at least near the base
3. Perennial; each pseudanthium with 2-4 female florets	C. fascicularis 5.
3. Annuals; each pseudanthium with 4-7 female florets
4. Bracts glabrous	C drummondiana 3.
4. Bracts hairy	C. strigosa 8.
2. Leaves completely glabrous
5. Leaves distichous; both bracts of the head with long leaf-like laminae	C. aristata 1.
5. Leaves not distichous; outer bract only with a leaf-like lamina
6. Bract lamina straight, no longer than the head; plant softly herbaceous	C. glabra 6.
6. Bract lamina recurved, longer than the head; leaves wiry; bract bases hardened
7. Pseudanthia 4-10 per head	C. eremica 4.
7. Pseudanthia 1 or 2 per head	C. polygyna 7.

Author: Not yet available