Weed Information: Centaurea melitensis (starthistle, Malta)
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Centaurea melitensis (starthistle, Malta)

Family: Asteraceae

Description

Very similar to yellow starthistle but with slender spines < 1 cm long and glandular bracts. This species is far less common than yellow starthistle.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Yellow
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Head
  • Panicle
  • Solitary, axillary
Number of Petals
  • 0 (no petals)
  • 5 petals
  • more than 10 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
  • United > 75% of length
Petal Tip
  • Pointed
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 8 mm (.32 inch)
  • 9 mm (.36 inch)
  • 1.0 cm (.40 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 1.5 cm (.60 inch)
  • 2.0 cm (.80 inch)
  • 2.5 cm (1.0 inch)
  • 3.0 cm (1.2 inches)
Number of Sepals
  • sepals lacking
  • more than 10 sepals
Sepal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Sepal Tip
  • Pointed
  • Spine-like
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 1 style
Number of Stamens
  • 5 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Anthers united, syngynoecious

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 1 carpel
Ovary Position
  • Inferior (epigynous)
Fruit Type
  • Achene
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • Alternate
Leaf Type
  • Simple (including lobed leaves)
Stipules
  • Lacking
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Pinnate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole absent (leaf sessile)
  • Petiole < 25% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 5 - 10 mm (.20 - .40 inch)
  • 1 - 2 cm (.40 - .80 inch)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)
Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)
  • Lanceolate
  • Lyrate
  • Oblanceolate
  • Ovate
  • Pinnately lobed
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Entire
  • Lobed
  • Parted
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Acuminate (attenuate)
  • Truncate
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Acute
  • Rounded (obtuse)
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Pubescent
  • Sericeous or villous (silky)
  • Villous or sericious (silky)
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
  • Spines on flowers or fruits only
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Annual
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Erect, columnar (narrow)
  • Erect, spherical (bushy)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
  • 4 - 6 dm (1.3 - 2.0 feet)
  • 6 - 8 dm (2.0 - 2.6 feet)
Wind Dissemination
  • Fruit, seed, or spore wind borne
Moisture Regime
  • Seasonally saturated
  • Mesic
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
  • Winged
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem leaves greatly reduced
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Tap Root

US State
  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • Massachusetts
  • Missouri
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Texas
  • Wisconsin
  • Hawaii
  • Indiana
  • Arizona
  • California
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Oregon
  • Utah
  • Washington
Canadian Province or Territory
  • British Columbia

  • An Illustrated Guide To Arizona Weeds, 1972 (ISBN 0-8165-0288-9) 338 pages. See page: 282
  • Garden Weeds of Southern California, 1981, See page: 111
  • Gilkey`s Weeds of the Pacific Northwest, 1980 (ISBN 0-88246-039-0) See page: 335
  • Weeds, 1955 (1980) Walter Conrad Muenscher, ISBN# 0-8014-1266-8 See page: 442, 443
  • Weeds of California, 1970, State of California Publications and Documents. See page: 439, 441
  • Weeds of California and other Western States, 2007 (ISBN 13: 978-1-879906-69-3) See Page: 250
  • Weeds of the West, 1992 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 95
  • Weeds of the West, 2000 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 97
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 X
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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