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Chalk Knapweed

Centaurea debauxii

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Contents

Plant Profile

Flowering Months:
JAN  FEB  MAR  APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG  SEP  OCT  NOV  DEC
Order:
Asterales
Family:
Asteraceae (Daisy)
Also in this family:
Alpine Blue Sow-thistle, Alpine Cotula, Alpine Fleabane, Alpine Saw-wort, Annual Ragweed, Annual Sunflower, Argentine Fleabane, Autumn Hawkbit, Autumn Oxeye, Beaked Hawksbeard, Beggarticks, Bilbao Fleabane, Black Knapweed, Black-eyed Susan, Blanketflower, Blue Fleabane, Blue Globe-thistle, Bristly Oxtongue, Broad-leaved Cudweed, Broad-leaved Ragwort, Brown Knapweed, Butterbur, Buttonweed, Cabbage Thistle, Canadian Fleabane, Canadian Goldenrod, Carline Thistle, Chamois Ragwort, Changing Michaelmas Daisy, Chicory, Chinese Mugwort, Chinese Ragwort, Coltsfoot, Common Blue Sow-thistle, Common Cat's-ear, Common Cudweed, Common Daisy, Common Dandelion, Common Fleabane, Common Goldenrod, Common Groundsel, Common Michaelmas Daisy, Common Mugwort, Common Ragwort, Common Wormwood, Coneflower, Confused Michaelmas Daisy, Corn Chamomile, Corn Marigold, Cornflower, Cotton Thistle, Cottonweed, Creeping Thistle, Daisy Bush, Dwarf Cudweed, Dwarf Thistle, Early Goldenrod, Eastern Groundsel, Eastern Leopardsbane, Elecampane, English Hawkweed, Fen Ragwort, Feverfew, Field Fleawort, Field Wormwood, Fox and Cubs, French Tarragon, Gallant Soldier, Garden Lettuce, Giant Butterbur, Glabrous-headed Hawkweed, Glandular Globe-thistle, Glaucous Michaelmas Daisy, Globe Artichoke, Globe-thistle, Goat's Beard, Golden Ragwort, Golden Samphire, Goldilocks Aster, Grass-leaved Goldenrod, Great Lettuce, Greater Burdock, Greater Knapweed, Grey-headed Hawkweed, Guernsey Fleabane, Hairless Blue Sow-thistle, Hairless Leptinella, Hairy Michaelmas Daisy, Harpur Crewe's Leopardsbane, Hawkweed Oxtongue, Heath Cudweed, Heath Groundsel, Hemp Agrimony, Highland Cudweed, Hoary Mugwort, Hoary Ragwort, Hybrid Knapweed, Intermediate Burdock, Irish Fleabane, Jersey Cudweed, Jerusalem Artichoke, Lance-leaved Hawkweed, Lavender-cotton, Leafless Hawksbeard, Least Lettuce, Leopardplant, Leopardsbane, Leptinella, Lesser Burdock, Lesser Hawkbit, Lesser Sunflower, London Bur-marigold, Magellan Ragwort, Marsh Cudweed, Marsh Hawksbeard, Marsh Ragwort, Marsh Sow-thistle, Marsh Thistle, Meadow Thistle, Melancholy Thistle, Mexican Fleabane, Milk Thistle, Mountain Everlasting, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Musk Thistle, Narrow-leaved Cudweed, Narrow-leaved Hawkweed, Narrow-leaved Michaelmas Daisy, Narrow-leaved Ragwort, New England Hawkweed, New Zealand Holly, Nipplewort, Nodding Bur-marigold, Northern Hawksbeard, Norwegian Mugwort, Oxeye Daisy, Oxford Ragwort, Pearly Everlasting, Perennial Cornflower, Perennial Ragweed, Perennial Sow-thistle, Perennial Sunflower, Pineapple Mayweed, Plantain-leaved Leopardsbane, Ploughman's Spikenard, Plymouth Thistle, Pontic Blue Sow-thistle, Pot Marigold, Prickly Lettuce, Prickly Sow-thistle, Purple Coltsfoot, Rayed Tansy, Red Star Thistle, Red-seeded Dandelion, Red-tipped Cudweed, Robin's Plantain, Roman Chamomile, Rough Cocklebur, Rough Hawkbit, Rough Hawksbeard, Russian Lettuce, Safflower, Salsify, Saw-wort, Scented Mayweed, Scentless Mayweed, Sea Aster, Sea Mayweed, Sea Wormwood, Seaside Daisy, Shaggy Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Shaggy Soldier, Shasta Daisy, Shetland Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Shrub Ragwort, Sicilian Chamomile, Silver Ragwort, Slender Mugwort, Slender Thistle, Small Cudweed, Small Fleabane, Smooth Cat's-ear, Smooth Hawksbeard, Smooth Sow-thistle, Sneezeweed, Sneezewort, Spear Thistle, Spotted Cat's-ear, Spotted Hawkweed, Sticky Groundsel, Stinking Chamomile, Stinking Hawksbeard, Tall Fleabane, Tall Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Tansy, Thin-leaved Sunflower, Treasureflower, Trifid Bur-marigold, Tuberous Thistle, Tyneside Leopardplant, Viper's Grass, Wall Lettuce, Welsh Groundsel, Welted Thistle, White African Daisy, White Butterbur, White Buttons, Willdenow's Leopardsbane, Winter Heliotrope, Wood Burdock, Wood Ragwort, Woody Fleabane, Woolly Thistle, Yarrow, Yellow Chamomile, Yellow Fox and Cubs, Yellow Oxeye, Yellow Star Thistle, Yellow Thistle, York Groundsel
Type:
Flower
Life Cycle:
Perennial
Maximum Size:
80 centimetres tall
Habitats:
Fields, gardens, meadows, riverbanks, roadsides, scrub, wasteland, woodland.

Flower:
֍
Purple, many petals
 
Solitary reddish-purple thistle-like flowers existing at the tops of the stems.
Fruit:
Elliptical light brown achenes which are slightly flat in appearance. The tip sometimes has a few bristles.
Leaves:
Slender, narrow, alternate, stalkless leaves with auricles.
Other Names:
Black Knapweed, Common Knapweed, De Baux's Knapweed, Hardheads, Lesser Knapweed.
Frequency (UK):
Occasionally seen  

Similar Species

Other Information

Summary

Centaurea debauxii, commonly known as De Baux's knapweed, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is native to Mediterranean region and Asia Minor, but it has been introduced in many parts of the world. It is a perennial plant that produces large, showy, violet-blue, pink or purple flowers on tall, stiff stems. The leaves are deeply lobed, and the plant forms clumps of foliage. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil to grow well. It is often found in meadows, pastures, roadsides, and waste areas. It is drought tolerant and can be grown in poor soil. It is often used in wildflower meadows, mixed borders, and cottage gardens. However, De Baux's knapweed can be invasive and can crowd out native plants, so it's important to keep an eye on it and control it if necessary.

Blog

Chalk Knapweed, scientifically known as Centaurea debauxii, is a beautiful wildflower native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the Asteraceae family, which also includes sunflowers, daisies, and asters. This plant has been appreciated for its ornamental value and medicinal properties for centuries.

Description

Chalk Knapweed is a perennial plant that grows up to 80cm in height. The stem is erect and branched, with a greyish-green color and covered with hairs. The leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, with a wavy margin and covered with short hairs. The flowers are bright pink or lilac, with a cone-shaped center and surrounded by spiky bracts. They bloom from late spring to mid-summer and attract a variety of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.

Habitat and Distribution

Chalk Knapweed is native to the Mediterranean region, including southern France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and North Africa. It thrives in rocky and calcareous soils, often found on limestone cliffs, rocky slopes, and along roadsides. It prefers a sunny and dry environment and can tolerate drought and poor soil conditions.

Uses and Benefits

Chalk Knapweed has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. The plant contains various bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids, which are responsible for its medicinal value. It has been used to treat various ailments, including fever, diarrhea, wounds, and respiratory infections.

In addition to its medicinal properties, Chalk Knapweed has ornamental value and is often grown in gardens for its attractive flowers. It can also be used in landscaping and as a cut flower in floral arrangements.

Conservation

Chalk Knapweed is considered a threatened species in some areas, such as southern France and Spain, due to habitat destruction and over-collection. It is important to protect and conserve this plant to maintain its biodiversity and preserve its medicinal and ornamental value.

Conclusion

Chalk Knapweed, Centaurea debauxii, is a beautiful and useful plant that has been appreciated for centuries for its medicinal and ornamental value. It thrives in rocky and calcareous soils, and its pink or lilac flowers attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. It is important to protect and conserve this plant to maintain its biodiversity and preserve its value for future generations.


Blog Continued

Chalk Knapweed is a versatile plant that can be grown in various settings, including gardens, rock gardens, and naturalistic landscapes. It is drought-tolerant and can thrive in poor soil conditions, making it a low-maintenance plant for gardeners. It also self-seeds readily, so it can spread and naturalize in a garden or landscape.

The plant's medicinal value has been recognized for centuries, and it has been used to treat various ailments, including fever, diarrhea, wounds, and respiratory infections. In traditional medicine, the aerial parts of the plant are used to prepare herbal teas and infusions. The plant contains flavonoids and other bioactive compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties.

Chalk Knapweed is also known for its role in supporting biodiversity in its native habitat. It is a host plant for various butterfly and moth species, including the Large Blue butterfly (Maculinea arion), which is an endangered species in Europe.

However, the plant is facing threats from habitat destruction and over-collection. Habitat destruction due to urbanization, agriculture, and mining activities is one of the major factors contributing to the decline of Chalk Knapweed populations. Over-collection for its ornamental and medicinal value also puts pressure on wild populations.

To conserve Chalk Knapweed, it is important to protect its natural habitat and promote sustainable harvesting practices. Growing the plant in gardens and naturalistic landscapes can also help to reduce pressure on wild populations. Additionally, raising awareness about the plant's ecological and cultural importance can help to promote its conservation.

Chalk Knapweed has cultural significance in the regions where it is native. In the Mediterranean region, the plant has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and is still used today. It is also a popular ornamental plant in gardens, and its flowers have been used in floral arrangements. The plant has also been used in traditional cuisine, particularly in Italy and Greece, where it is used in salads, soups, and stews.

In addition to its cultural and ecological importance, Chalk Knapweed has potential as a source of bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. The plant's bioactive compounds have been shown to have various pharmacological activities, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.

Research is ongoing to explore the potential of Chalk Knapweed as a source of new bioactive compounds for medical and industrial applications. However, sustainable harvesting practices must be developed to avoid over-collection and to ensure the plant's long-term conservation.

In conclusion, Chalk Knapweed is a versatile and useful plant that has cultural, ecological, and medicinal value. It is important to protect and conserve this plant to maintain its biodiversity and preserve its value for future generations. Further research is needed to explore the plant's potential as a source of bioactive compounds and to develop sustainable harvesting practices.


Facts about Chalk Knapweed

  • Chalk Knapweed is a perennial wildflower native to the Mediterranean region.
  • It grows up to 80cm in height, with greyish-green stems, narrow and lance-shaped leaves, and bright pink or lilac flowers surrounded by spiky bracts.
  • Chalk Knapweed thrives in rocky and calcareous soils, often found on limestone cliffs, rocky slopes, and along roadsides.
  • The plant has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.
  • Chalk Knapweed has ornamental value and is often grown in gardens for its attractive flowers.
  • The plant is facing threats from habitat destruction and over-collection and is considered a threatened species in some areas.

Chalk Knapweed, Centaurea debauxii, is a beautiful and useful plant that has ornamental, ecological, and medicinal value. It thrives in rocky and calcareous soils, and its pink or lilac flowers attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The plant has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. Chalk Knapweed has ornamental value and can be grown in various settings, including gardens and naturalistic landscapes. The plant is facing threats from habitat destruction and over-collection and is considered a threatened species in some areas. Conserving the plant is important to maintain its biodiversity and preserve its value for future generations.