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Centaurea melitensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Centaurea
Species:	C. melitensis
Binomial name
Centaurea melitensis L.

Centaurea melitensis (called Maltese star-thistle in Europe, tocalote or tocolote in western North America) is an annual plant in the family Asteraceae, 1 to 11 decimetres (4 to 43 in) 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 in 1797. It is also naturalized on a number of Pacific islands.

Conservation

It is considered rare on the Maltese Islands, being listed in the Red Data Book.

Gallery

References

1. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
2. NRCS. "Centaurea melitensis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 13 January 2016.
3. "Centaurea melitensis (Maltese Star-Thistle)". maltawildplants.com. 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021.

University of California, Davis, Agricultural and Natural Resources Archived 2006-02-06 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• Photo gallery
• Media related to Centaurea melitensis at Wikimedia Commons

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