St Barnaby's thistle, Yellow star-thistle
Centaurea solstitialis
Family: Asteraceae
What it is like
An annual plant. It grows 1 m tall. It is stiff and erect and has a downy white covering. The leaves at the base are much divided. The lobe at the end is the largest. The leaves on the stem do not have stalks. They are narrow and entire. They continue as wings down the stem. The bracts around the flower have spines. Some spines are smaller than others.
There are 400 to 600 Centaurea species. A disease of horses has been recorded in the USA from eating this plant.
Where it is found
It is a Mediterranean plant. It grows in dry habitats and stony ground. It grows in warm temperate places. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,500 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium.
Countries/locations it is found in
Argentina, Australia, Britain, Central Asia, Chile, Europe (country/location of origin), France, Greece, Italy, Mediterranean, North America, Saudi Arabia, South America, Spain, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA
How it is used for food
It is also the source of a sweet honey. The leaves are boiled and seasoned with olive oil and eaten.
Edible parts
Leaves
How it is grown
Plants can be grown by seed.
Its other names
Local names
Cakirdikeni, Ciarrucciolo, Histiti cavbellok, Histrizerk, Pincar, Strizerk, Zimane civike