Centaurea dealbata

White Knapweed (Centaurea dealbata )

The White Knapweed (Centaurea dealbata ) is a plant of the genus Centaurea (Centaurea ) in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae).

Features

The Two-Tone knapweed is a perennial plant, the plant height of 30 to 80 (100 ) reaches centimeters. It forms a Pleiokorm root. The pappus is about one millimeter long, not feathered and multiple rows. The basal leaves are evenly doubly pinnatisect. The stem leaves are simple pinnatisect, the sections are ovate, pointed, entire, the end is not enlarged. The heads sit individually on the simple or loosely branched stems, are surrounded by bracts and have a diameter of 3 to 5 ( 6) inches. The Hüllblattanhängsel are ovate - rounded, large and deeply fringed, the middle part is 3 to 5 millimeters wide. The ray flowers are pink and glowing. The disk flowers are brighter.

Bloom time is from June to July (September).

Occurrence

The Two-Tone knapweed occurs on mountain steppes and subalpine meadows at altitudes from 1700 to 2400 meters in the Caucasus and possibly also in the north-east Turkey.

Use

The Two-Tone knapweed is scattered used as an ornamental plant for perennial borders and woodland edges. It is in culture at least since 1804. The variety ' Steenbergii ' has dunkelkarminrosa florets, white disk flowers and reaches stature heights of 60 centimeters, ' dwarf ' growth reaches heights of 40 centimeters.

Documents

• Corner Hardt J. Hunter, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd Müller K. (ed.): Rothmaler Exkursionsflora of Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8.