Centaurea americana
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Centaurea_americana".

Centaurea americana
Centaurea americana flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Tribe: Cynareae Genus: Centaurea Species: C. americana
Binomial name
Centaurea americana
Synonyms
Plectocephalus americanus[1]

Centaurea americana, also called American Basketflower, is an annual^[1] native to the southern central United States and northeastern Mexico.^[2] Its common name comes from the underside of the inflorescence, which has a basket weave pattern on it and on the flowerbuds.

The pink petals look somewhat like a thistle with a cream colored center. Blooms are 4" in diameter and are held from May until June. The plant can reach 5-6' tall and has rough 4" long lance-shaped leaves.

Flower bud showing basketwork appearance

The plant is often cultivated for its showy flowers, and can sometimes be found outside its native range as an escape from cultivation.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Plectocephalus". Flora of North America.
2. ^ ^{a b} "Plectocephalus americanus". Flora of North America.

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