About Centaurea diffusa Lam.
Diffuse knapweed, scientifically known as Centaurea diffusa Lam., is an annual or biennial plant. It typically grows 10 to 60 cm tall, with a highly branched stem, a large taproot, a basal rosette of leaves, and smaller leaves that grow alternately along its upright stems. Its flowers are usually white or pink, and they grow from urn-shaped flower heads held at the tips of its many branches. This species often stays in a short rosette form for one year to reach its maximum size, then grows rapidly and flowers in its second year. A single diffuse knapweed plant can produce around 18,000 seeds. It is native to Eastern Europe and Western Asia, specifically found in Turkey, Syria, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, and southern Russia.
