Big-headed knapweed

Big-headed knapweed
Large-headed knapweed ( Centaurea macrocephala )
Systematics
Order : Astern-like (Asterales) Family : Daisy family (Asteraceae) Subfamily : Carduoideae Tribe : Cynareae Genre : Knapweed ( Centaurea ) Type : Big-headed knapweed
Scientific name
Centaurea macrocephala
Must, Pushk. ex Willd.

The large-headed knapweed ( Centaurea macrocephala ), also known as the giant knapweed , is a species of knapweed ( Centaurea ) in the Asteraceae family.

features

Young bud of Centaurea macrocephala

The large-headed knapweed is a perennial plant that reaches stature heights of 50 to 100 (150) centimeters. It forms a rhizome . The stem is thick, unbranched and densely leafed up to the top. The leaves are broadly lanceolate to ovate, pointed and with small teeth. The middle and upper leaves are sessile, short on the stem and 10 to 30 centimeters long.

The flower heads stand individually, are surrounded by a bract and have a diameter of 3.5 to 6 (to 8) centimeters. The marginal flowers are hardly radiant. The bract appendages are dark brown, the middle ones have a width of 15 to 20 millimeters, are slit and fringed. The flowers are golden yellow.

The flowering period is from June to July, sometimes also to August.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 18.

Occurrence

The large-headed knapweed occurs in north-east Turkey, in Transcaucasia and in north-west Iran in sub-alpine to high-alpine herbaceous vegetation and forest clearings at altitudes of 1500 to 2600 meters.

use

The large-headed knapweed is seldom used as an ornamental plant for perennial beds, natural gardens and wooded edges and as a cut flower. It has been in culture since 1800 at the latest.

literature

• Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Excursion flora from Germany . Founded by Werner Rothmaler. tape 5 : Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Springer, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 , pp. 641 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Centaurea macrocephala at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis

Web links

Commons : Big-Headed Knapweed  Album of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files