Meadow Knapweed Leaves | Slide Mouse
It is a perennial of the sunflower family asteraceae and grows from a woody crown.
Meadow knapweed leaves. Phyllary appendages lower on the involucre are triangular in outline with many narrow regular comb like teeth around the edges which are more similar to black knapweed then transform to less finely divided papery and ragged edged appendages similar to brown knapweed on the upper part of the involucre. Leaves are lance shaped and pubescent. Iii black knapweed has undivided leaves and floral bracts with long black fringes from a black or dark brown. I meadow knapweed has undivided leaves and larger flowerhead bracts with comb like fringes at the tips.
Flower heads are solitary at tips of the branches pink to purple in color and 3 4 of an inch in size. The branched stems rise above a woody. It blooms in midsummer to fall growing from robust root crown. For more information about the biological control of meadow knapweed please visit wsu extension integrated weed control project.
The blunt knapweed flower weevil larinus obtusus is most destructive in the larval stage by its feeding on seeds within the flowerheads. Single flowers mostly pink purple but occasionally white are at the ends of branches and are approximately in. Plant height generally reaches 3. Centaur ea centaur ium is a reference to the centaur chiron who supposedly discovered the medicinal uses of a.
Basal leaves can grow up to four inches long and point upward. The upright stems grow from 20 to 40 inches tall and branch near the middle. Nigra and its phyllaries are intermediate between the two. The adults also cause damage by feeding on meadow knapweed leaves.
Habitat and ecology description. Some leaves can grow up to 25 centimetres long. Meadow knapweed is a perennial that grows from a woody crown. Description meadow knapweed is a perennial plant that has multiple upright reddish stems with vertical ridges that are 20 40 tall.
Lance shaped leaves with short fuzzy hairs. Multiple long upright branching stems with solitary flower heads at the apexes. Meadow knapweed is a hybrid between brown knapweed centaurea jacea and black knapweed c. Meadow knapweed favors moist roadsides sand gravel bars and river banks irrigated pastures moist meadows and forest openings.
How to identify meadow knapweed stem. Stems are thin green to. Lower leaves may be toothed. The lower leaves are long stalked upper leaves having no stalk.
Bracts are light to dark brown with papery fringed margins. Meadow knapweed is a perennial forb that grows to 20 40 inches tall. Ii russian knapweed has smaller flowers and no black marks on the bracts. Light pink to purple about.