Centaurea melitensis L.

Common name: Maltese starthistle or tocalote

Family: Asteraceae (the sunflower family)

Introduced, noxious weed

Click on links below to see:

Close-up of flower head

Winged stem

Weedy stand of Maltese starthistle, side of road

External links:

Images, distribution and species description from the Berkeley Digital Library & the Jepson Manual

Background information on Centaurea melitensis from the California Invasive Plant Council