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Centaurea ×moncktonii
Also called Black knapweed, Hybrid knapweed, Protean knapweed, Monckton's Knapweed
Meadow knapweed (Centaurea × gerstlaueri), also known as hybrid knapweed or protean knapweed, is a fertile hybrid between black knapweed (Centaurea nigra) and brown knapweed (Centaurea jacea). The taxonomic status of the species is uncertain, and meadow knapweed has been variously described as different species.
Black knapweed was probably introduced to North America from ship ballast or as an ornamental. Brown knapweed was purposefully introduced to North America as a forage crop. Meadow knapweed arose as a hybrid of these two species. It is not very palatable to animals; therefore it easily outcompetes other forage species. Meadow knapweed prefers moist sites in full sunshine, infesting river banks, pipelines, roadsides, fields, and pastures. Once established, infestations of meadow knapweed are difficult to remove. Despite its invasive status, gardeners plant it as an ornamental or as a pollen source for honeybees.
Centaurea acaulis · Akamas centaury · Centaurea alba · Centaurea ammocyanus · Rough star-thistle · Centaurea atropurpurea · Centaurea behen · Blessed Thistle · Red star-thistle · Karl-Henrikh's Centaury · Dusty miller · Centaurea collina
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Meadow knapweed by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
