Centaurea nigra L.

black knapweed

Successional fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas. Much less common than the similar C. jacea but growing in similar habitats. The common hybrid with C. jacea is C. x moncktonii.

Forb/herb

Perennial

Vascular

**

**

The Centaurea jacea complex which is European in origin is a difficult group due to hybridization, polyploidy, apomixis, and morphological variation (see Keil and Ochsmann [2006] for a brief overview). Keil & Ochsmann (2006) in FNA follow the “traditional approach for North America” and recognize three species (C. jacea, C. nigra, and C. nigrescens) and a nothospecies (C. x moncktonii). This does align (albeit with some modifications) with Fernald (1950) and Gleason and Cronquist (1991). We also follow this approach.

Not Native Naturalized SNA (State Rank) GNR (Global Rank)

**