Centaurea solstitialis L. Golden Starthistle

Centaurea solstitialis L. - Golden Starthistle

Scientific Description:

Annual, 15−60 cm, adpressed-tomentose. Spines straw-coloured (sometimes brown near base), usually over 15 mm. Basal and lower leaves (mostly withered at flowering time) lyrate to pinnatipartite with 3−4 pairs of lateral segments, median and upper lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, lobed or toothed to entire, decurrent into narrow entire wings. Involucre (11−)13–16 × (6−) 8−12(−15) mm, arachnoid-tomentose. Appendage a patent straw-coloured or red 8−25(−30) mm spine, with 2−3 spinules (2−4 mm) on each side at base, outer phyllaries with short spinules. Flowers yellow or pink, marginal not radiant. Achenes 2−3 mm, dimorphic: marginal dull, blackish, without pappus; central glossy, greyish to brown, with white pappus, 3−4(−5) mm.

 

Flowering time: June−August.

Habitat: Pine forests, dry slopes, fallow fields, waste places, s.l.−1900 m.

 

Reference:
Wagenitz G (1975). Centaurea solstitialis L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 5: 542.

Public Description:

Centaurea solstitialis, known as “yellow star-thistle”, “golden starthistle”, “yellow cockspur” and “St. Barnaby's thistle”, is native to the Mediterranean Basin region. It is an annual herb with yellow or pink flowers, and grows up to 60 cm in length. It is resistant plant because of its long roots and seeds' ability to withstand fire. It blooms between June and August and is found in pine forests, dry slopes, fallow fields and waste places. Golden starthistle is used in Turkish folk medicine for the treatment of ulcers. In a laboratory study, aqueous extracts of fresh or dried flowers of golden starthistle given orally showed significant antiulcerogenic activity in rats. Goats usually eat this plant before its spiny stage, but there is a report that the plant causes brain lesions and a nervous syndrome called “chewing disease” in horses when consumed at the spiny stage.

 

References:

Anonymous 1 (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaurea_solstitialis/, Accessed date: 06.01.2016.

Anonymous 2 (2016). http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/censol/all.html/, Accessed date: 06.01.2016.

Yesilada, Erdem; Sezik, Ekrem; Fujita, Tetsuro; [and others]. 1993. Screening of some Turkish medicinal plants for their antiulcerogenic activities. Phytotherapy Research 7(3): 263–265.

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.