Malta starthistle
(Centaurea melitensis)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Centaurea melitensis is a winter annual herbaceous plant with a yellow-flowered, spiny head that can reach a height of up to 3.3 ft. (1 m). tall.
Foliage
Leaves are alternate, linear, or narrowly oblong with smooth, toothed margins. Leaf bases are decurrent and give the stems a winged appearance.
Flowers
Flowers are yellow, 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) across, and surrounded by sharp, tan, 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) long, spiny cobwebbed bracts. Blooming occurs from April to September.
Fruit
The fruit are 0.08-0.12 in. (2-3 mm) in length, grayish to tan in color with deeply notched bases, and tan bristles that are 0.04-0.12 in. (1-3 mm) long.
Ecological Threat
Centaurea melitensis prefers disturbed areas such as grasslands, open woodlands, roadsides, fields, and pastures. It is native to Europe and North America.
Citation
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Southeast. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-05. Retrieved from http://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-05_New%20Invaders_SE.pdf
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- Arizona Noxious Weeds
- California Invasive Plant Council
- California Noxious Weeds
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- Nevada EDRR
- Nevada Noxious Weeds
- New Invaders of the Southeast
- New Mexico Noxious Weeds
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Utah Noxious Weeds - Early Detection Rapid Response Watch List
- Washington Noxious Weeds
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Asteranae |
| Order: Asterales |
| Family: Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: Carduoideae |
| Tribe: Cardueae |
| Genus: Centaurea |
| Centaurea melitensis |
References
Common Name Reference: Weed Science Society of America Common Names List
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.