Centaurea stoebe subsp. micranthos

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Perennials, 30–150 cm. Stems usually many, loosely gray-tomentose, branches ascending. Leaves loosely gray-tomentose or becoming glabrous, resin-gland-dotted; basal and proximal cauline petiolate, blades 10–15 cm, margins 1–2 times divided into linear or oblong segments; mid and distal cauline smaller, entire or dissected. Heads usually many in open cymiform arrays, pedunculate. Involucres ovoid, 10–13 mm. Phyllaries: bodies pale green or pink tinged, ovate (outer) to oblong (inner), with several prominent parallel veins, glabrous or finely tomentose, erect appendages decurrent on distal phyllary margins, dark-brown or black, scarious, fringed with slender teeth. Florets 30–40; corollas pink to purple (white), those of sterile florets 15–25 mm, slender or somewhat enlarged, those of fertile florets 12–15 mm. Cypselae whitish or pale-brown, 3–3.5 mm, finely hairy; pappi in 1–2 series, of many white, unequal, stiff bristles to 5 mm. 2n = 36.

Phenology: Flowering summer (Jun–Sep).
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, open forests
Elevation: 50–2800 m

Introduced; Alta., B.C., N.B., N.S., Ont., Que., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., Europe

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa