''Centaurea melitensis'' (called Maltese star-thistle
in Europe, tocalote or tocolote in western North America) is an
annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...
in the family Asteraceae, 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
San Fernando may refer to:
People
*Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia
Places Argentina
*San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
in 1797. It is also naturalized on a number of Pacific islands.
Conservation
It is considered rare on the
Maltese Islands
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, being listed in the Red Data Book.
Gallery
Centaurea_Melitensis_Malta_Star-Thistle_Basal_Rosette.jpg
Centaurea melitensis MHNT.BOT.2007.43.54.jpg
References
University of California, Davis, Agricultural and Natural Resources
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
*
melitensis
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Flora of Malta
{{Cynareae-stub