Centaurea macrocephala

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Centaurea macrocephala
IMG 1538-Centaurea macrocephala.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Centaurea
Species:
C. macrocephala
Binomial name
Centaurea macrocephala
Muss. Puschk. ex Willd. 1803
Synonyms

Grossheimia macrocephala

Centaurea macrocephala is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae, and a member of the thistle tribe, Cynareae. It has many common names, including bighead knapweed, [1] big yellow centaurea, [2] lemon fluff, [3] yellow bachelor's button, [4] yellow hardhat, [5] and Armenian basketflower. [6]

Contents

This plant is native to the Caucasus. [6] It is known throughout much of the world as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. [6] It is a popular garden plant, and is widely available for cultivation as an ornamental. [6]

Description

This herbaceous perennial bears mostly unbranched stems reaching up to 170 cm tall. The leaves are variable in shape and size. Those near the base have oval blades borne on petioles and those higher on the plant have shorter, narrower blades. The flower heads are solitary atop the stems and have arrays of small leaves around the bases. The heads are 2.5 to 3.5 cm wide. The somewhat rounded head is covered in layers of phyllaries with fringed tips and sometimes spines. The head contains many yellow florets. The fruit, including its pappus, can be well over one centimeter long. [4]

Biology

In its native range in the Caucasus, this plant grows in mountain meadows. It is a summer-flowering subalpine species. It thrives as an introduced species in many types of moist temperate habitat, especially areas dominated by perennial herbs. It can grow in disturbed areas. [6]

Uses

This is a well-known ornamental flowering plant. It has been a garden flower for over 200 years, being introduced to the United Kingdom and United States in the early 19th century. Thomas Jefferson obtained seeds from the nurseryman Bernard McMahon and planted them at Monticello. [6]

In gardens it can be placed at borders or corners, where it will form clumps. It is used as a cut flower for its large, rounded heads with long yellow florets, and it can be used as a decorative dried flower. [5] This is the largest Centaurea in cultivation and is easily recognized. [6]

Ecology

As the plant has been transported around the world for ornamental use it has taken hold as an introduced species in several areas. It is a casual garden escapee in parts of Europe and North America. It has only become a troublesome noxious weed in a few areas, notably Washington state in the United States, where it is prohibited to buy or sell the species. [6] Its invasive nature is best seen in garden environments, where it is more aggressive than most other ornamental plants and can become a "garden thug". [6]

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<i>Centaurea calcitrapa</i>

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<i>Gazania linearis</i>

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<i>Psephellus dealbatus</i>

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<i>Buphthalmum</i>

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Pulicaria paludosa is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Spanish false fleabane. It is native to Europe, particularly Spain and Portugal, and it is known as an introduced species in California, where it grows as a weed on roadsides and other damp, disturbed areas. It is an annual, biennial, or perennial herb growing a few centimeters tall to well over a meter tall from a rhizomatous root system. The leaves are alternately arranged with blades in a variety of shapes from linear to oblong or oval. The herbage is coated in soft hairs. The inflorescence bears many flower heads. Each head has narrow, pointed, hairy phyllaries, a large dense center of many yellow disc florets, and a short fringe of many rectangular yellow ray florets, which are only about 2 millimeters long each. The fruit is an achene tipped with a pappus of bristles.

Pyrrocoma carthamoides is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name largeflower goldenweed. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northeastern California to Wyoming, where it is known from grassland, woodlands, forests, barren areas, and other habitat. It is a perennial herb growing from a taproot and producing one or more stems to about half a meter in maximum length, the stems reddish-green and leafy. The largest leaves are at the base of the stem, measuring up to 20 centimeters long, lance-shaped with spiny sawtoothed edges. Leaves higher on the stem are smaller and hairier. The inflorescence is a single flower head or a cluster of up to four. Each bell-shaped head is lined with phyllaries each up to 2 centimeters long. It has many yellow disc florets surrounded by a fringe of yellow ray florets up to 7 millimeters long; ray florets are occasionally absent. The fruit is an achene which may be well over a centimeter in length including its pappus.

<i>Packera bolanderi</i>

Packera bolanderi is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Bolander's ragwort and seacoast ragwort. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to northern California, where it grows in wet coastal forests and woodlands. There are two varieties of the species which differ slightly in morphology and habitat occupied; these varieties have been considered separate species by some authors. The var. bolanderi has thicker leaves, occurs farther south, and occupies more open types of habitat, than does var. harfordii. This plant in general is a perennial herb producing one to three stems up to half a meter tall. The basal leaves have blades up to 12 centimeters long which are divided into several lobes and borne on long, thin petioles. Leaves growing farther up the stem are smaller and have more lobes on their blades. The inflorescence contains several flower heads, each lined with dark green phyllaries. The head contains many golden yellow disc florets and generally either 8 or 13 yellow ray florets each over a centimeter long. The fruit is an achene tipped with a pappus of bristles.

<i>Senecio elegans</i>

Senecio elegans is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names redpurple ragwort, purple groundsel, wild cineraria and purple ragwort.

Packera ganderi is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Gander's ragwort. It is endemic to southern California, where it is known from a few occurrences in San Diego and Riverside Counties.

<i>Packera multilobata</i>

Packera multilobata is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name lobeleaf groundsel. It is native to the western United States from California to Wyoming to New Mexico, where it is common and can be found in many habitat types.

Packera pauciflora is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name alpine groundsel. It is native to northern North America, where it can be found in parts of western and eastern Canada and the northwestern United States. It grows in subalpine and alpine climates, such as mountain meadows.

<i>Senecio serra</i>

Senecio serra is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names tall ragwort and sawtooth groundsel. It is native to the western United States, where it can be found in several types of habitat, including sagebrush and woodlands. It is a perennial herb producing a single erect stem or a cluster of stems from a branched, woody caudex. The plant can exceed two meters in height. It is hairless in texture, with young plants sometimes appearing fuzzy, and green to red-tinged in color. The leaves have lance-shaped blades up to 20 centimeters long borne on short petioles, the leaves occurring evenly all along the stems. The inflorescence is a spreading array of many flower heads, each lined with green- or black-tipped phyllaries. The heads contain yellow disc florets and 5 to 8 yellow ray florets each under a centimeter long.

<i>Senecio sylvaticus</i>

Senecio sylvaticus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is variously known as the woodland ragwort, heath groundsel, or mountain common groundsel. It is native to Eurasia, and it can be found in other places, including western and eastern sections of North America, as an introduced species and an occasional roadside weed. It grows best in cool, wet areas. It is an annual herb producing a single erect stem up to 80 centimeters tall from a taproot. It is coated in short, curly hairs. The toothed, deeply lobed leaves are up to 12 centimeters long and borne on petioles. They are evenly distributed along the stem. The inflorescence is a wide, spreading array of many flower heads, each lined with green- or black-tipped phyllaries. The heads contain yellow disc florets and most have very tiny yellow ray florets as well.

<i>Artemisia frigida</i>

Artemisia frigida is a widespread species of flowering plant in the aster family, which is known as the sunflower family. It is native to Europe, Asia, and much of North America. In parts of the north-central and northeastern United States it is an introduced species.

References

  1. Centaurea macrocephala. USDA PLANTS. United States Department of Agriculture.
  2. Centaurea macrocephala. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  3. Centaurea macrocephala. Invasive.org, Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
  4. 1 2 Centaurea macrocephala. Flora of North America. eFloras.org
  5. 1 2 Centaurea macrocephala. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Centaurea macrocephala. Invasive Species Compendium. CABI.