Centaurea melitensis (called Maltese star-thistle[1][2] in Europe, tocalote or tocolote in western North America) is an annual plant in the family Asteraceae, 1 to 11 decimetres (4 to 43 in) high, with resin-dotted leaves and spine-tipped phyllaries. This plant is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and Africa. It was introduced to North America in the 18th century; the first documented occurrence in California is in the adobe of a building constructed in San Fernando in 1797. It is also naturalized on a number of Pacific islands.
| Centaurea melitensis | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Centaurea |
| Species: | C. melitensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Centaurea melitensis | |
Conservation
editIt is considered rare on the Maltese Islands, being listed in the Red Data Book.[3]
Gallery
edit
References
edit- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Centaurea melitensis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
- ^ "Centaurea melitensis (Maltese Star-Thistle)". maltawildplants.com. 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
University of California, Davis, Agricultural and Natural Resources Archived 2006-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
External links
edit- Jepson Manual Treatment
- Photo gallery
Media related to Centaurea melitensis at Wikimedia Commons
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