Silver knapweed
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Silver knapweed ( Centaurea pulcherrima ) |
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| Centaurea pulcherrima | ||||||||||||
| Willd. |
The silver knapweed ( Centaurea pulcherrima ) is a species of knapweed ( Centaurea ) in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The species is very rich in shape.
features
The silver knapweed is a perennial plant that reaches stature heights of 30 to 60 (80) centimeters. It forms a Pleiokorm root . The pappus is 11 to 16 millimeters long, pinnate and single-row. The leaves are gray-tomentose on the underside (in cultivated forms), on the upper side slightly tomentose and balding. The leaf shape is very variable, the lower leaves are narrowly lanceolate, serrated or lyre-shaped to slightly pinnate with 1 to 4 pairs of serrated or whole-margined sections. The shell has a diameter of 15 to 30 millimeters. The appendages of the middle bracts are very large, membranous, light brown to straw-colored and have numerous 2 to 4 millimeters long fringes. The flower heads are single, long stalked and have a diameter of up to 5 centimeters. The marginal flowers are radiant, have long, pointed, straight tips and are pink in color. The disk flowers are whitish.
Flowering time is from (May) June to July.
Occurrence
The silver knapweed occurs in east-northeast Turkey and in the Caucasus on rocky slopes and gravel at altitudes of 1700 to 3500 meters.
use
The silver knapweed is used as an ornamental plant for rock gardens and dry stone walls. It has been in culture since 1816 at the latest. The 'Albo-rosea' variety has a whitish-pink crown.
supporting documents
- Eckehardt J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Rothmaler excursion flora from Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .
