Asteraceae
Maltese star-thistle
Centaurea melitensis
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Centaurea
Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Common names
By language (13)
- Arabic
- قنطريون مالطي, قنطريون عسلي
- arz
- قنطريون مالطى
- Catalan
- Card estrellat, Floravia, Narriola, Oriola, Rialla, Riola
- Chinese
- 马耳他岛矢车菊, 大矢车菊, 马耳他黄星蓟
- Czech
- Chrpa maltská
- English
- Maltese star-thistle
- Finnish
- Maltankaunokki
- French
- Centaurée de Malte, Croix de Malte
- German
- Malta-Flockenblume
- kab
- Ittim
- Maltese
- Xewk ta' Malta
- Spanish
- Abre punos, Abre puños, Abremanos, Abrepuno amarillo, Abrepunos amarillo, Abrepuño amarillo, Abrepuños amarillo, Cardo escarolado
- Welsh
- Pengaled seraidd malta
Synonyms
- Calcitrapa conferta Moench
- Calcitrapa melitensis (L.) Soják
- Calcitrapa patibilcensis Kunth
- Calcitrapa sessiliflora Lam
- Centaurea americana Spreng.
- Centaurea apula Lam.
- Centaurea congesta Willd. ex DC.
- Centaurea glomerata Webb & Berthel.
- Centaurea patibilcensis (Kunth) DC.
- Centaurea reuteriana var. pinnatisecta Parsa
- Cyanus melitensis Gaertn.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Annual, Biennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos
Photo: Franco Folini from San Francisco, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Philmarin, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Kevin Thiele from Perth, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Moadeeb, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Centaurea
- CornflowerCentaurea cyanusAsteraceae
- Brownray knapweedCentaurea jaceaAsteraceae
- Blessed thistleCentaurea benedictaAsteraceae
- Greater knapweedCentaurea scabiosaAsteraceae
- Yellow star-thistleCentaurea solstitialisAsteraceae
- Common knapweedCentaurea nigraAsteraceae
- Red star-thistleCentaurea calcitrapaAsteraceae
- Diffuse knapweedCentaurea diffusaAsteraceae
- Spotted knapweedCentaurea stoebeAsteraceae
- Iberian knapweedCentaurea ibericaAsteraceae
- Bighead knapweedCentaurea macrocephalaAsteraceae
- Wig knapweedCentaurea phrygiaAsteraceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.