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Centaurea calcitrapa

Te Mata Peak.<br>Photographer: Peter J de Lange, Date taken: 07/02/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

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Common names

star thistle

Biostatus

Exotic

Conservation status

Not applicable

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites

Flower colours

Red/Pink

Detailed taxonomy

Genus

Centaurea

Family

Asteraceae

Authority

Centaurea calcitrapa L.

Endemic family

Ecology

Flowering

November, December, January, February, March, April, (May)

Fruiting

november, december, january, february, march, april, may

Year naturalised

1855

Origin

Mediterranean

Other information

Etymology

centaurea: From the classical name kentaurion (Greek) or centaureum (Latin) in the fables of ancient Greece, which describe the plant healing the foot of Chiron, a centaur famed for his knowledge of medicine and astronomy.

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