Centaurea calcitrapa explained

Centaurea calcitrapa is a species of flowering plant known by several common names, including red star-thistle and purple star thistle. It is native to Europe but is rarely found there, it is known across the globe as an introduced species and often a noxious weed.[1] The species name calcitrapa comes from the word caltrop, a type of weapon covered in sharp spikes.[2]

Description

This an annual or biennial plant growing erect to a maximum height of one[3] to 1.3[4] metres.

The stems are hairless and grooved.[5]

It sometimes takes the shape of a mound, and it is finely to densely hairy to spiny. The leaves are dotted with resin glands. The lowermost may reach a length of 20 centimeters and are deeply cut into lobes. The inflorescence contains a few flower heads. Each is 1.5 to 2 centimeters long and oval in general shape. The phyllaries are green or straw-colored and tipped in tough, sharp yellow spines. The head contains many bright purple flowers. The fruit is an achene a few millimeters long which lacks a pappus.

It flowers from July until September, and the seeds ripen from August to October.

The Red Star-thistle has been identified as a Priority Species by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. It is identified as 'vulnerable' by the UNIC and is listed as Nationally Rare in the UK Red Data Book. There is no national or Sussex BAP for this species.

Distribution

[6]

Native distribution

Introduced distribution

Subspecies

Three subspecies are accepted.

Uses

In western Crete, Greece a local variety called gourounaki (γουρουνάκι - little pig) has its leaves eaten boiled by the locals.[7] A south Italian variety of the species is also traditionally consumed by ethnic Albanians (Arbëreshë people) in the Vulture area (southern Italy). In the Arbëreshë communities in Lucania the young whorls of Centaurea calcitrapa are boiled and fried in mixtures with other weedy non cultivated greens.[8]

Control

Herbicides

Picloram + 2,4-D, low volatile ester 2,4-D, Dicamba, and Fluroxypyr + Aminopyralid are recommended for use in New South Wales,[9] and aminocyclopyrachlor + chlorsulfuron, aminopyralid, chlorsulfuron, clopyralid, clopyralid + 2,4-D, dicamba, diflufenzopyr + dicamba, picloram, and triclopyr + clopyralid for the Pacific Northwest of North America.[10]

Herbicide resistance

Picloram + 2,4-D, low volatile ester 2,4-D, Dicamba, and Fluroxypyr + Aminopyralid all carry a "moderate" risk of producing resistance in C. calcitrapa.

Similar species

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Centaurea genus part 1. https://archive.today/20121212041438/http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/ipc/weedinfo/centaurea.htm. dead. 12 December 2012. California Department of Food and Agriculture. 24 July 2012.
  2. 10.1614/0890-037X(2002)016[0452:PSCCSG]2.0.CO;2. 0890-037X. 2002. 16. 452. Purple Starthistle (Centaurea calcitrapa) Seed Germination1. Pitcairn. Michael J.. Young. James A.. Clements. Charlie D.. Balciunas. JOE. Weed Technology. 2.
  3. Web site: Jepson Manual Treatment . Ucjeps.berkeley.edu . 2013-01-14.
  4. Web site: University of California Cooperative Extension . Ucce.ucdavis.edu . 2013-01-14 . 2011-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927074155/http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/datastore/detailreport.cfm?usernumber=26&surveynumber=182 . dead .
  5. Book: Rose, Francis. Francis Rose

    . Francis Rose . The Wild Flower Key . 1981 . Frederick Warne & Co. 0-7232-2419-6 . 386–387.

  6. Web site: Centaurea calcitrapa L. - Plants of the World Online . . . 2021-03-03.
  7. Book: Κλεόνικος Γ. Σταυριδάκης [Kleonikos G. Stavridakis] . Wild edible plants of Crete . Η Άγρια βρώσιμη χλωρίδα της Κρήτης . Rethymnon Crete . 2006 . 960-631-179-1.
  8. http://www.andreapieroni.eu/Pieroni%20et%20al.,%202002d.pdf A. Pieroni, V. Janiak, C. M. Dürr, S. Lüdeke, E. Trachsel and M. Heinrich: In vitro Antioxidant Activity of Non-cultivated Vegetables of Ethnic Albanians in Southern Italy, Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, The School of Pharmacy, University of London 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, 16, 467–473 (2002)
  9. Web site: Star thistle (Centaurea calcitrapa) . . 2021-03-03.
  10. Web site: Starthistle, yellow (Centaurea solstitialis), purple (Centaurea calcitrapa), and Iberian (Centaurea iberica) . Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks . Pacific Northwest Extension (Oregon, Washington, Idaho) . 2015-11-10 . 2021-03-03.

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