Centaurea nigra

Black Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)

The Black Knapweed (Centaurea nigra, Syn: Centaurea jacea L. subsp nigra (L.) Bonnier & Layens, C. nemoralis Jordan. ) Belongs to the genus knapweed (Centaurea ) in the subfamily Carduoideae from the sunflower family ( Asteraceae ).

Description

There are perennial herbaceous plants. The plant can reach a stature height of 20 to 80 cm and has little branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate to oval.

The bloom conditions have a diameter between 2.5 and 3.5 centimeters and consist only of purple tubular flowers. Below the flower heads, the stems are thickened clearly visible to a few centimeters. The bracts have black, comb- like appendages. Unlike other knapweed species such as the meadow knapweed and scabious Knapweed the ray flowers are not enlarged. The fruits are about 3 mm long achenes with a pappus of about 1 mm long dark bristles.

The Black knapweed flowers from July to September.

Occurrence

This species has areas in Western Europe, including the British Isles, from the Iberian Peninsula to Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the territories of the former Yugoslavia. The Black knapweed is found scattered along forest edges and pagans in Europe.

This species is in the U.S. Invasive plant.

Use

The flowers can be used to decorate salads and eaten.

Roots and seeds are used medicinally. The effect is sweat and diuretic. Today, and especially earlier this plant has been used for wound healing.