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  2. Non Native Invasive Plant Species in Banff National Park
  3. Perennial Cornflower/Mountain bluet

Perennial Cornflower/Mountain bluet

Centaurea montana

Summary 3

Centaurea montana (perennial cornflower, mountain cornflower, bachelor's button, montane knapweed or mountain bluet) is a species of Centaurea endemic to Europe. It is widespread and common in the more southerly mountain ranges of Europe, but is rarer in the north. It escapes from gardens readily, and has thereby become established in the British Isles, Scandinavia and North America.

How to recognize it? 4

Cornflower like, bright blue flowers with fringed rays spaced apart; pinkish center; black fringed bracts. Bloom April-June. Whole plant is lightly hairy. Fringed bracts similar to spotted knapweed. Grow to 80cm (2.6 ft).

Observations in Banff National Park 5

2020-21: https://inaturalist.ca/observations?project_id=69401&taxon_id=48984&place_id=any&verifiable=any
2019-20: https://inaturalist.ca/observations?project_id=38602&taxon_id=48984&place_id=any&verifiable=any

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) John, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/24882165@N07/4587522289
  2. (c) Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bloemknop_van_Centaurea_montana_%27amethyst_snow%27._Locatie,_Tuinreservaat_Jonkervallei_02.jpg
  3. Adapted by bioblitzbanff from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaurea_montana
  4. (c) bioblitzbanff, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  5. (c) metallyza, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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