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Mountain Cornflower, Perennial Cornflower

Centaurea montana L.

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

▲▼ mature, flowering plants

▲▼ inflorescences/flowers

Centaurea montana L., Mountain Knapweed: (Bayer Code:  none; US Code CEMO)

·         Rhizome-producing creeping perennial plant native to Europe and is planted as a perennial in northern Midwest landscapes, where it occasionally escapes into natural areas

·         Has simple, elongated oval leaves that are slightly hairy and have smooth margins

·         Stems are hairy, winged with not much branching

·         Flowers are large head inflorescences and pinkish to lavender to all shades of blue, including a deep, bright blue; bracts below the inflorescence are green, with tiny, dark teeth along their edges

·         Similar in appearance to bachelor buttons/cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), but mountain knapweed flowers are larger

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Posted 19 January 2019