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DIFFUSE KNAPWEED

Class: Centaurea diffusa
Family: ASTER FAMILY
Sub Family: Asteraceae, Compositae
Year: Biennial
Other Names: Star-thistle
Colour: Pale purple to white
Height: 10-60 cm (4-24")
Each Flower: About 1.3 cm (1/2") across with all disk or tubular flowers; narrow involucre 3-5 mm (1/8-3/16") long, green bracts which bear biscuit-coloured spines; top spine may be over 3 mm (1/8") long, several pairs of shorter spines at sides
Leaves: Many small, rough leaves, lower ones deeply lobed into long, narrow leaflets, upper ones become smaller; less lobed, uppermost may be unlobed, narrow
Stems: Woody, rough, angled, many-branched, forming low bush
Blooming Period: July - September
Habitat: Dry waste places and roadsides
Note:

Rapidly becoming a pest in drier areas