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Taxon  Report  
Centaurea stoebe  L.  ssp. micranthos  (Gugler) Hayek
Spotted knapweed
Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos is a perennial herb that is not native to California.
also called Centaurea stoebe ssp. australis
Cal-IPC rating: high
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Observation Search
~2013 records in California
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Parent: Centaurea stoebe
Genus: Centaurea
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Communities: escaped cultivar
Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS
Alternate Names:
PLANTSAcosta maculosa
PLANTSCentaurea biebersteinii
PLANTSCentaurea maculosa
JEF + POWOCentaurea stoebe ssp. australis
Information about  Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos from other sources
USDA PLANTS Profile (CESTM)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

FEIS: DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE: "Spotted knapweed is native to eastern Europe, though it now occurs in western and central Europe. It was introduced to North America, probably as a contaminant in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) seed and/or ship's ballast, in the late 1800s ... . In 1920, the distribution of spotted knapweed in North America was limited to the San Juan Islands, Washington."

Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 05/13/2025).