Centaurea nigra
| Centaurea nigra | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Tribe: | Cynareae |
| Genus: | Centaurea |
| Species: | C. nigra |
| Binomial name | |
| Centaurea nigra L. |
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Centaurea nigra is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names Lesser Knapweed, Common Knapweed and Black Knapweed. A local vernacular name is Hardheads.
It is native to Europe but it is known on other continents as an introduced species and often a noxious weed.
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[edit] Description
It is a perennial herb growing up to about a metre in height.
The leaves are up to 25 centimetres long, usually deeply lobed, and hairy. The lower leaves are stalked, whilst the upper ones are stalkless.
The inflorescence contains a few flower heads, each a hemisphere of black or brown bristly phyllaries. The head bears many small bright purple flowers. The fruit is a tan, hairy achene 2 or 3 millimetres long, sometimes with a tiny, dark pappus. Flowers July until September.[1]
flowers sometimes are yellow, or white
[edit] Wildlife value
Important for Gatekeeper butterfly, Goldfinch, Honey bee, Large skipper, Lime-speck pug moth, Meadow Brown, Painted lady, Peacock, Red admiral, Small copper, Small skipper
[edit] Similar species
Brown Knapweed Centaurea jacea is different in having pale brown bract appendages, no pappus. Flowers August until September.
[edit] References
- ^ Rose, Francis (1981). The Wild Flower Key. Frederick Warne & Co. pp. 386–387. ISBN 0-7232-2419-6.
[edit] External links
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Wikispecies has information related to: Centaurea nigra |
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