Classification
Kingdom: Plantae (2659)
Phylum: Tracheophyta (2572)
Class: Magnoliopsida (2167)
Order: Asterales (224)
Family: Asteraceae (223)(family description)
Genus: Centaurea (15)
Epithet: nigra L. (7)
Synonyms: Centaurea austriaca Rchb., Centaurea babingtonii Lacaita ex Hayek, Centaurea nemoralis Jord.
austriaca => of Austrian origin
babingtonii => in honor of Charles Cardale Babington (1808- 1895), English botanist and archaeologist
nemoralis => sylvan, growing in woods and groves
nigra => black, blackness