Centaurea melitensis

Common name: Tocalote, Malta Star Thistle, Maltase Star Thistle, Tocolote
Family: Asteraceae
Size: Up to 75 cm tall
Description: Upright, smooth, spiny
Habitat: Various dry soils

Flower:

• 1 cm across
• Ray flowers absent
• Disk flowers numerous, yellow, suspended by 4 or 5 rows of spine-tipped bracts.
• Heads one to few at tips of branches.

Stem and leaves:

• Leaves 5-10 cm long
• Alternate
• Lower leaves rounded, lobed, without spines
• Upper leaves narrow, unlobed
• Stems several, widely branching with branches upright