Centaurea cyanus

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 911. 1753.

Common names: Bachelor’s-button garden cornflower cornflower bluebottle bluebonnets blaver blue-poppy thimbles brushes corn pinks witch’s bells hurtsickle bleuet barbeau casse lunette
Introduced
Synonyms: Leucacantha cyanus (Linnaeus) Nieuwland & Lunell
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 184. Mentioned on page 183.

Annuals, 20–100 cm. Stems usually 1, erect, ± openly branched distally, loosely tomentose. Leaves ± loosely gray-tomentose; basal leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 3–10 cm, margins entire or with remote linear lobes, apices acute; cauline linear, usually not much smaller except among heads, usually entire. Heads radiant, in open, rounded or ± flat-topped cymiform arrays, pedunculate. Involucres campanulate, 12–16 mm. Phyllaries: bodies green, ovate (outer) to oblong (inner), tomentose or becoming glabrous, margins and erect appendages white to dark brown or black, scarious, fringed with slender teeth ± 1 mm. Florets 25–35; corollas blue (white to purple), those of sterile florets raylike, enlarged, 20–25 mm, those of fertile florets 10–15 mm. Cypselae stramineous or pale blue, 4–5 mm, finely hairy; pappi of many unequal stiff bristles, 2–4 mm. 2n = 24 (Russia).


Phenology: Flowering spring–summer (May–Sep).
Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands, forests, roadsides, other disturbed sites
Elevation: 50–2400 m

Distribution

V19-206-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; Greenland, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Yukon, Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., s Europe.

Discussion

Centaurea cyanus is a commonly cultivated garden ornamental. Its cypselae are often included in wildflower seed mixes and it naturalizes readily in many areas.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Centaurea cyanus"
David J. Keil +  and Jörg Ochsmann +
Linnaeus +
Bachelor’s-button +, garden cornflower +, cornflower +, bluebottle +, bluebonnets +, blaver +, blue-poppy +, thimbles +, brushes +, corn pinks +, witch’s bells +, hurtsickle +, bleuet +, barbeau +  and casse lunette +
Greenland +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Yukon +, Ala. +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +  and s Europe. +
50–2400 m +
Grasslands, woodlands, forests, roadsides, other disturbed sites +
Flowering spring–summer (May–Sep). +
Introduced +
Leucacantha cyanus +
Centaurea cyanus +
Centaurea +
species +