Centaurea stoebe micranthos (weed)
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Author(s):Matt Lavin
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Centaurea stoebe micranthos (weed) (Gugler) Hayek - (spotted knapweed)
The subspecies is native to central Europe and a serious invasive, herbaceous rangeland weed in North America (introduced in the late 1800s) which reduces the forage quality of pastues due to its low palatability to lifestock. Several million hectares of rangeland have become infested. It persists due to the deep taproot, prolific seed production and long viability of the seeds in the soil. It disperses through the wind or is transported by contaminated hay.
For control, mowing combined with herbicide treatment is recommended. In isolated infestations plants should be removed by hand pulling. The weed grows to a height of around 1 m, with deeply lobed or linear leaves. The flowers are thistle-like, purple to pink and produce elongated fruits with shiny, black seeds.
In the past, the weedy spotted knapweed has been frequently referred to as Centaurea maculosa Lam. However, this name is a junior synonym of Centaurea stoebe L. subsp. stoebe (diploid cytotype), a subspecies only found in western and central Europe. The North American weed belongs to the subspecies micranthos (tetraploid cytotype) and only this form is invasive.
| Vernacular names | |
|---|---|
| • Deutsch: | Rispen-Flockenblume |
| • English: | spotted knapweed |
| • Español: | Centaurea manchada |
| • Français: | centaurée maculée |
Synonyms:
Centaurea biebersteinii
Centaurea maculosa
For details see the respective page in BugwoodWiki.
- Other images of Centaurea stoebe micranthos (weed) (Wikimedia Commons and IPM Images - click to enlarge)
flowers
foliage of basal rosette
foliage
foliage
fruits
infestation
infestation
