Malta Starthistle

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Malta Starthistle

Centaurea melitensis L.

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

▲▼ seedling and first year rosettes

▲ closer view of hairy leaves

▲▼ mature plants, before flowering

▲▼ leafy wings on stems

▲▼ mature, flowering plants

▲▼ inflorescences/flowers

▲ infloreescence after flowering

▲▼ dried plant after flowering

▲▼ dried inflorescences and pappus (hairs, "parachutes") attached to seed

Centaurea melitensis L., Maltese Starthistle: (Bayer Code: CENME; US Code CEME2)

· Annual or biennial warm-weather weed from the Mediterranean region

· First produces a rosette of lobed, lanceolate leaves

· Then produces numerous, branching flowering stems that are hairy and have hairy leaves and leafy (not spiny) wings

· Inflorescence is a 0.5 to 1 inch diameter head inflorescence, with yellow ray flowers and many spiny bracts surrounding the base of the inflorescence; the spines are 0.25 to 0.5 inches long

· Common in southwestern U.S., not as widespread as similar yellow starthistle and not in Missouri, yet

· Similar yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) has slightly larger heads, with longer spines (about 0.5 to 1 inch) arising from bracts below inflorescence

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Posted 19 January 2019