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yellow cockspur

Centaurea solstitialis

Photo by HemaShah
Published on Project Noah
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37.9101, -122.065

Field Notes

Description:

Star thistle is a valuable source of pollen, thus nectar for pollinators. Yellow star thistle, a noted pest plant, is a major nectar source for many central valley and foothill butterflies. Star Thistle populates ground that has been abused: dry, compacted, or scraped clean. A plant with a tap root system, it has a crucial role in restoring the soil by bringing up vital micro nutrients. Similar to many plants classified as 'weeds', they "quickly establish in, protect, and restore soil that has been left exposed by natural and human-caused disturbances".

Habitat:

it inhabits highly disturbed ruderal habitats, being typically found on roadsides and cereal crop margins

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Photographed
PublishedJuly 17, 2016

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