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Centaurea diffusa  Lam.
Diffuse knapweed,   White knapweed
© 2020 David Greenberger
© 2022 Bob Sweatt
© 2019 Catherine Talbot
© 2023 Justice Rasmussen
© 2018 Joe Woods
© 2018 Joe Woods
© 2020 Catherine Talbot
© 2020 Friends of Five Creeks volunteers
© 2017 Ramona Robison
© 2022 John Millsaps
© 2025 Aaron Rocha
Centaurea diffusa is a perennial herb that is not native to California.
Cal-IPC rating: moderate
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Observation Search
~847 records in California
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Centaurea
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:
PLANTSAcosta diffusa
Information about  Centaurea diffusa from other sources

[Wikipedia] Mediterranean Native, Seed Production: Centaurea diffusa, also known as diffuse knapweed, white knapweed or tumble knapweed, is a member of the genus Centaurea in the family Asteraceae. This species is common throughout western North America but is not actually native to the North American continent, but to the eastern Mediterranean. A single plant can produce approximately 18,000 seeds (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/29/2025).