Centaurea ibericaTrevir. ex Spreng. Iberian Knapweed

Centaurea ibericaTrevir. ex Spreng. - Iberian Knapweed

Scientific Description:

Annual to biennial, 20−80(−100) cm, repeatedly branched from near base, branches mostly arising a short distance below terminal capitula and overtopping their relative main-axis. Leaves sparsely hairy; lower petiolate, pinnatifid or lyrate with up to 6 pairs of denticulate (to pinnatifid) lanceolate pairs of spinules at base, adjacent margin of phyllaries lateral segments; median similar, but sessile and with fewer lateral segments; upper lyrate with 1−2 pairs of lateral segments or lanceolate and entire or with few coarse teeth. Involucre (10−)13−18 × (7−) 9−12(−15) mm, ovoid to cup-shaped. Appendage (of the two middle rows of phyllaries) a pungent straw-coloured spine of variable length, (5−) 10−25(−30) mm, with (l−) 2−3 pairs of spinules at base, adjacent margin of phyllaries with a narrow hyaline border. Flowers pale pink, marginal not radiant. Achenes 3−4 mm; pappus l−2.5(−3) mm.

 

Flowering time: June−August.

Habitat: Fields, roadsides, waste land, s.l.−2300 m.

 

Reference:
Wagenitz G (1975). Centaurea iberica Trev. ex Sprengel, In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 5: 543.

Public Description:

Centaurea iberica, known as “Iberian Starthistle” or “Iberian Knapweed”, is distributed in Southeast Europe to Southwest Asia and also found in Mountain slopes in Tibet. It is an annual or biennial herbs with pale pink flowers, and grows up to 80 cm in length. It blooms between June and August and is found in fields, roadsides and waste land.

References:

Anonymous (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaurea_iberica/, Accessed date: 06.01.2016.

Uysal T (2012). Centaurea. L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 127–140.