Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Scandinavian Starthistle, Wig Knapweed
Description
Family Compositae
The largest family of flowering plants , the Compositae (Asteraceae), comprising about 1,100 genera and more than 20,000 species and characterized by many small flowers arranged in a head looking like a single flower and subtended by an involucre of bracts. A head may consist of both ray flowers and disk flowers, as in the sunflower, of disk flowers only, as in the burdock, or of ray flowers only, as in the dandelion.
Genus Centaurea
Annuals
, biennials, or perennials, 20-300 cm, glabrous
or tomentose
. Stems erect
, ascending
, or spreading
, simple
or branched. Leaves basal and cauline; petiolate
or sessile; proximal
blade
margins
often ± deeply lobed
, (spiny
in C. benedicta ), distal ± smaller, often entire, faces
glabrous or ± tomentose, sometimes also villous
, strigose
, or puberulent
, often glandular-punctate. Heads discoid
, disciform
, or radiant, borne singly or in corymbiform
arrays. Involucres cylindric
or ovoid
to hemispheric
. Phyllaries many in 6-many series, unequal, proximal part appressed
, body margins entire. distal parts expanded into erect to spreading, usually ± dentate
or fringed
, linear
to ovate
appendages
, spine. tipped or spineless. Receptacles flat, epaleate, bristly
. Florets 10-many; outer usually sterile
, corollas slender and inconspicuous to much expanded, ± bilateral
; inner fertile
, corollas white to blue, pink, purple, or yellow, bilateral or radial
, often bent at junction of tubes
and throats
, lobes
linear-oblong, acute; anther
bases
tailed
, apical appendages oblong
; style branches: fused portions with minutely hairy
nodes, distinct
portions minute. Cypselae ± barrel-shaped, ± compressed
, smooth
or ribbed
, apices entire (denticulate
in C.
benedicta ), glabrous or with fine, 1-celled hairs
, attachment scar
. lateral
(with or without elaiosomes) ; pappi 0 or ± persistent
, of 1-3 series of smooth or minutely barbed
, stiff bristles
or narrow scales
. x = 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15.
Species ca.
500: introduced
; Eurasia
, n Africa, widely introduced worldwide.
Taxonomic
limits
of Centaurea have been controversial. The genus has great morphologic diversity
, and studies have revealed much cytologic (e.g.
, N. Garcia-Jacas et al.
1996) and palynologic (e.g., G. Wagenitz 1955) variation
as well. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, various taxonomists attempted, with limited success, to divide Centaurea into smaller genera or workable infrageneric
taxa. The relations of several satellite
genera have been controversial as well.
Recent molecular phylogenetic
studies (A. Susanna et al. 1995; N. Garcia-Jacas et al. 2000, 2001) have begun to clarify relationships
within Centaurea and between Centaurea and other genera. These studies make it clear that Centaurea as traditionally defined is polyphyletic, and that generic
boundaries should be realigned if monophyletic taxa are to be recognized. Some taxa traditionally included
within Centaurea (e.g., the two native
North American species, Centaurea americana and C. rothrockii) fall
outside the redefined generic boundaries and are here treated in Plectocephalus. Others usually placed into segregate
genera (e.g., Cnicus benedictus) are firmly nested within Centaurea. Because the type species of Centaurea (C. centaurium Linnaeus, an African species) falls
outside the main lineage
of the genus, a proposal
has been made to conserve Centaurea with a different type species (W. Greuter et al. 2001), thereby maintaining the nomenclatural
stability
of most of the numerous
species that do fall within the principal Centaurea clade.
Although several Centaurea species are widely established
as members
of the North American flora
, and some of these are widely distributed invasive weeds
, some of the taxa listed by J. T. Kartesz and C. A. Meacham (1999) are apparently waifs
and not permanent members of the flora. These taxa are discussed informally immediately below.
Although Cnicus has usually been recognized as a distinctive monotypic genus, it has been merged into Centaurea by various authors
(e.g., K
. Bremer 1994; G. Wagenitz and F. H. Hellwig 1996) . Recent molecular systematic studies (N. Garcia-Jacas et al. 2000) provide additional evidence that it is nested within Centaurea.[1]
Physical Description
Habit: Forb/herb
Flowers: Bloom Period: April, May, June. • Flower Color: lavender, violet
Size/Age/Growth
Size: 12-18" tall.
Habitat
Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,840 meters (0 to 6,037 feet).[2]
Biology
Reproduction
Duration: Perennial
Growth
Culture: Space 12-15" apart.
Soil: Minimum pH: 6.1 • Maximum pH: 7.8
Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full sun .
Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b. (map)
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
)
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
)
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
)
- Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
)
- Class:
Spermatopsida
(
)
- Brongniart, 1843
- Subclass:
Asteridae
(
)
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Campanulanae
(
)
- Takhtajan Ex Reveal, 1992
- Order:
Asterales
(
)
- Lindley, 1833
- Family:
Compositae
(
)
- Giseke, 1792, nom. cons., nom. alt.
- Subfamily:
Carduoideae
(
)
- Tribe:
Cardueae
(
)
- Subtribe:
Centaureinae
(
)
- Genus:
Centaurea
(
)
- C. Linnaeus, 1753
- Knapweed, star thistle, cornflower [Greek kentaurieon, ancient plant name associated with Chiron, a centaur famous for knowledge of medicinal plants]
- Specific epithet:
phrygia
- L.
- Botanical name: - Centaurea phrygia L.
- Specific epithet:
phrygia
- L.
- Genus:
Centaurea
(
- Subtribe:
Centaureinae
(
- Tribe:
Cardueae
(
- Subfamily:
Carduoideae
(
- Family:
Compositae
(
- Order:
Asterales
(
- Superorder:
Campanulanae
(
- Subclass:
Asteridae
(
- Class:
Spermatopsida
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Synonyms
Chrysophyllum eggersii Pierre • Chrysophyllum glabrum var. pauciflorum (Lam.) Roem. & Schult. • Chrysophyllum krugii Pierre Ex Urb. • Chrysophyllum pauciflorum var. eggersii (Pierre) Pierre • Chrysophyllum pauciflorum var. krugii Pierre • Chrysophyllum pauciflorum var. nervosum Pierre • Cynodendron pauciflorum (Lam.) Baehni
Notes
Name
Status: Accepted Name
.
Comment: Data Providers: Govaerts World Compositae Checklist
A-G,
IPNI, Tropicos, Euro+Med. GCC LSID: urn
:lsid:compositae.org:names:73C28CD4-23AE-478E-BB7B-024230F99A8D
Last scrutiny: 20-Aug-09
Similar Species
Members of the genus Centaurea
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 82 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
C. akamantis (Akamas Centaury) · C. alpestris (Greater Centaury) · C. americana (American Basketflower) · C. americana 'Aloha' (American Knapweed) · C. americana 'Jolly Joker' (American Knapweed) · C. aspera (Rough Star-Thistle) · C. atropurpurea (Centaurea) · C. bella (Knapweed) · C. benoistii (Maroon Cornflower) · C. biebersteinii (Ballast Waif Centaurea Biebersteinii) · C. bovina (Pasture Knapweed) · C. cachinalensis (Flor Del Minero) · C. calcitrapa (Big-Head Purple Starthistle) · C. calcitrapoides (Smallhead Star-Thistle) · C. cineraria (Dusty Miller) · C. cineraria 'Colchester White' (Dusty Miller) · C. crupina (Crupina) · C. cyanoides 'Blue Carpet' (Cornflower) · C. cyanus (Bachelor's Button) · C. cyanus nana 'Jubilee Gem' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Black Ball' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Black Boy' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Black Gem' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Black Magic' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Blue Boy' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Blue Diadem' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Classic Blue' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Dwarf Blue Midget' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Frosted Queen Mix' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Frosty Mix' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Mauve Queen' (Bachelors Button) · C. cyanus 'Polka Dot Mix' (Bachelors Button) · C. dealbata (Knapweed Centaurea Dealbata) · C. dealbata 'Rosea' (Knapweed) · C. debeauxii (Meadow Knapweed) · C. debeauxii thuillieri (Meadow Knapweed) · C. debeauxii subsp. thuillieri (Meadow Knapweed) · C. depressa (Centaurea) · C. diffusa (Diffuse Knapweed) · C. diluta (North African Knapweed) · C. eriophora (Sand-Heath) · C. gymnocarpa (Velvet Centaurea) · C. hypoleuca DC. 'John Coutts' (Knapweed) · C. iberica (Iberian Knapweed) · C. jacea (Brown Knapweed) · C. jacea x nigra (Hybrid Knapweed Centaurea Jacea X Nigra) · C. macrocephala (Armenian Basketflower) · C. melitensis (Cockspur Thistle) · C. moncktonii (Meadow Knapweed) · C. montana (Mountain Bluet) · C. montana 'Alba' (Mountain Bluet) · C. montana 'Amethyst in Snow' (Mountain Bluet) · C. montana 'Dot Purple' (Mountain Bluet) · C. montana 'Gold Bullion' (Batchelor's Button) · C. moschata 'Dairy Maid' (Sweet Sultan) · C. moschata 'Imperialis' (Sweet Sultan) · C. moschata 'The Bride' (Sweet Sultan) · C. nigra (Black Knapweed) · C. nigrescens (Short-Fringe Starthistle) · C. orientalis (Centaurea) · C. ovina (Lilac Knapweed) · C. paniculata (Jersey Knapweed) · C. phrygia (Scandinavian Starthistle) · C. pindicola (Centaurea) · C. pulcherrima (Pink Bachelors Button) · C. 'Pulchra Major' (Bachelor's Button) · C. ragusina (Dubrovacka Zecina) · C. rothrockii (Basket Flower) · C. scabiosa (Great Starthistle) · C. solstitialis (Barnaby Star-Thistle) · C. solstitialis solstitialis (St. Barnaby's Thistle) · C. stoebe (Spotted Knapweed) · C. sulphurea (Sicilian Starthistle) · C. thuillieri (Meadow Knapweed) · C. transalpina (Alpine Knapweed) · C. trichocephala (Feather-Head Knapweed) · C. triumfetti (Squarrose Knapweed Centaurea Triumfetti) · C. triumfettii (Spreading Thistle) · C. uniflora (Single-Flower Knapweed) · C. uniflora nervosa (Singleflower Knapweed) · C. xpratensis (Meadow Knapweed) · C.'Nigra' (Bachelor Buttons)
More Info
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Further Reading
- Acta Societatis pro Fauna et Flora Fennica. Helsinki: Societas, 1875-1980. url p. 101, p. 110, p. 114, p. 136, p. 144, p. 20, p. 25, p. 29, p. 30, p. 31, p. 50, p. 64, p. 7, p. 75, p. 84, p. 9.
- An encyclopaedia of gardening; comprising the theory and practice of horticulture, floriculture, arboriculture, and landscape-gardening, including all the latest improvements; a general history of gardening in all countries; and a By J.C. Loudon. London, Printed for Longman, Ross, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1828. url p. 869.
- An encyclopædia of gardening; comprising the theory and practice of horticulture, floriculture, arboriculture, and landscape-gardening, including all the latest improvements; a general history of gardening in all countries; and a By J.C. Loudon. .. illustrated with many hundred engravings on wood by Branston. London: Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1827. url p. 869.
- Archiv for mathematik og naturvidenskab. Oslo [etc.]O. Norlis [etc.] url p. 95.
- Botanical abstracts. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins Co. url p. 238.
- Catalogue of scientific papers (1800-1900) Comp. by the Royal society of London. Cambridge, C. J. Clay and sons, 1867-1902; url p. 361.
- Catalogue of scientific papers, 1800-1900. Compiled by the Royal Society of London. London, C.J. Clay and Sons, 1867-1902 [etc.] Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1914-25. url p. 361.
- Compositae newsletter. Columbus, Ohio: Dept. of Botany, Ohio State University, 1975- url p. 27.
- Contributions from the Botanical Laboratory. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1892- url .
- Dedication papers: scientific papers presented at the dedication of the laboratory building and plant houses, April 19-21, 1917. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1918. url p. 369, p. 370.
- Flora of the U.S.S.R. [Springfield, Va.: Israel Program for Scientific Translations; 1968- url p. 631.
- Hand-list of herbaceous plants cultivated in the Royal Botanic Gardens. London, Printed for H. M. Stationery Off. by Darling, 1902. url p. 267.
- International catalogue of scientific literature. London: Published for the International Council by the Royal Society of London, 1902-1919. url p. 721.
- Memoirs / Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Brooklyn, N.Y.: The Garden, 1918-1936. url p. 369, p. 370.
- Memoirs of the American Entomological Society. Philadelphia, American Entomological Society, 1916- url p. 111, p. 127.
- Nature. London, Macmillan. url p. 592.
- Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. Washington, etc.: Entomological Society of Washington url p. 52.
- Seeds handbook for agriculture, horticulture and forestry, with a key for the identification of the important agricultural seeds = Handbuch der Samenkunde für Landwirtschaft, Gartenbau und Forstwirtschaft, mit einem Schlussel zur Bestimmung der wichtigsten landwirtschaftlichen Samen / Walther Brouwen and Adolf Stahlin. [S.l.: s.n.], 1980. url p. 75.
- The Entomologist's record and journal of variation. s.l., s.n. url p. 35.
- The Gardeners' chronicle: a weekly illustrated journal of horticulture and allied subjects. London: [Gardeners Chronicle], 1874-1955. url p. 816.
- The Journal of the Linnean Society. Botany. 22 1887 London: the Society: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts & Green: ||Williams and Norgate, 1865-1968. url p. 105.
- The continental element in the flora of south Sweden by Rikard Sterner. Stockholm: Centraltryckeriet, 1922. url p. 239.
- The fertilisation of flowers. Translated and edited by D'Arcy W. Thompson, with a preface by Charles Darwin. LondonMacmillan1883 url p. 361.
- The flora of the Alps being a description of all the species of flowering plants indigenous to Switzerland; and of the Alpine species of the adjacent mountain districts of France, Italy, & Austria including the Pyrenees / by Alfred W. Bennett. London: J.C. Nimmo, 1896. url p. v.
- The flora of the Alps: being a description of all the species of flowering plants indigenous to Switzerland; and of the alpine species of the adjacent mountain districts of France, Italy, & Austria including the Pyrenees / by Alfred W. Bennett. New York: Truslove & Comba, 1898. url .
- The flora of the Alps; being a description of all the species of flowering plants indigenous to Switzerland; and of the Alpine species of the adjacent mountain districts of France, Italy, & Austria including the Pyrenees, London, J. C. Nimmo, 1896-1900. url , .
- Garcia-Jacas, N., A. Susanna, V. Mozaffarian, and R. Ilarslan. 2000. The natural delimitation of Centaurea (Asteraceae: Cardueae): ITS sequence analysis of the Centaurea jacea group. Pl. Syst. Evol. 223: 185199.
- Moore, R. J. 1972. Distribution of native and introduced knapweeds (Centaurea) in Canada and the United States. Rhodora 74: 331346.
- Roché, B. F. and C. T. Roché. 1991. Identification, introduction, distribution, ecology, and economics of Centaurea species. In: L. F. James et al., eds. 1991. Noxious Range Weeds. Boulder, San Francisco, and Oxford. Pp. 274291.
- Wagenitz, G. 1955. Pollenmorphologie und Systematik in der Gattung Centaurea L. s.l. Flora 142: 213279.
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed March 27, 2012.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 27, 2007:
- Bundesamt für Naturschutz / Zentralstelle für Phytodiversität Deutschland, Bundesamt fuer Naturschutz / Zentralstelle fuer Phytodiversitaet Deutschland
- Conservatoire botanique national du Bassin parisien, Conservatoire botanique national du Bassin parisien
- Jyväskylä University Museum - The Section of Natural Sciences, Vascular plant collection of Jyvaskyla University Museum
- Museum of Natural History, Wroclaw University, Museum of Natural History, Wroclaw University, Flora of the Stołowe Mts.
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Vascular Plant Herbarium, Oslo
- The Swedish Museum of Natural History
- , Herbarium of Oskarshamn
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2666039
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Ast-7480
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13727278
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:191260-1
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 501351
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDAST1Y0M0
- U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: CEAU3
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 28376
Footnotes
- David J. Keil, Jörg Ochsmann "Centaurea". in Flora of North America Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 52, 57, 58, 67, 83, 84, 96, 171, 172, 176, 177, EFloras.org. [back]
- Mean = 348.700 meters (1,144.029 feet), Standard Deviation = 246.870 based on 690 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
