Leaf type: Oblong (narrow), oblong (broad), lanceolate, elliptic, linear, pinnatifid
Leaf margin: Smooth, wavy
Phyllotaxis: Basal, alternate (stem leaves)
Colour: Green, greenish-gray
Life cycle: Perennial
Basal leaves
The ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate and sometimes pinnatifid basal leaves can be slightly wavy and grow to just over 20 centimeters long.
Upper and middle leaves, stem leaves
The lower stem leaves are petiolate and larger and broader than the upper ones.
Growth habit & biology
Centaurea jacea is a perennial plant that grows between 20 and 60 centimeters tall.
The leaves can be green or, when finely hairy, appear greenish-gray to silvery.
Leaf margins are usually smooth and sometimes wavy.
Distribution & habitates
Its native range includes most European countries, extending to North Africa and in Asia as far as the Caucasus (source).
Centaurea jacea grows in meadows, pastures, lawns and along roadsides or on embankments. It prefers sunny locations and tolerates dry, nutrient-poor soils, but can also be found in fen meadows.
Botany
Centaurea jacea is known as brown knapweed or brown-ray knapweed and belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae).
