Centaurea melitensis
From Bugwoodwiki
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Overview
- Appearance
- Centaurea melitensis is a winter annual with a yellow-flowered, spiny head that can reach a height of 3.3 ft. (1 m). tall.
- Foliage
- Leaves are alternate, linear or narrowly oblong with smooth, toothed margins. Leaf bases are decurrent and give the stems a winged appearance.
- Flowers
- Flowers are yellow, 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) across, and surrounded by sharp, tan, 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) long, spiny cobwebbed bracts. Blooming occurs from April to September.
- Fruit
- The fruit are 0.08-0.12 in. (2-3 mm) in length, grayish to tan in color with deeply notched bases and tan bristles that are 0.04-0.12 in. (1-3 mm) long.
- Ecological Threat
- Centaurea melitensis prefers disturbed areas such as grasslands, open woodlands, roadsides, fields, and pastures. It is native to Europe and North America.
Resources
Global Invasive Species Database. 2011. Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission [1]
University of California, Jepson Flora Project [2]
Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Council [3]
CABI Invasive Species Compendium [4]
California Invasive Plant Council[5]
USDA NRCS PLANTS [6]
USDA ARS GRIN [7]
Images from Bugwood.org
