Centaurea sulphurea, Willd.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 285

160. C. sulphurea Willd. , Enum. Pl. Horti Berol. 930 (1809).

Annual. Stems 30-50 cm, erect, divaricately branched above, narrowly winged, leafy almost to apex. Leaves linear to linearlanceolate or the lower lyrate-pinnatifid, sparsely lanate; lower petiolate; upper sessile. Involucre (12-) 15-20 mm in diameter, ovoid-conical; bracts ovate, sparsely lanate to subglabrous; appendages not decurrent, semiorbicular, with slender, patent, dark purple apical spine 15-20 mm and very slender lateral spines 5-6 mm; appendages of outer bracts with subequal, whitish spines 7-8 mm. Florets yellow, glandular. Achenes c. 4-5 mm; pappus c. 2 mm, brownish. Disturbed or rocky ground. S. & S.E. Spain. Hs.