basket-flower

plant

Also known as: American star thistle, Centaurea americana

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Also called:: American basket-flower or American star thistle

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basket-flower, (Plectocephalus americanus), annual wildflower of the aster family (Asteraceae), native to southwestern North America. It is commonly planted in gardens to attract birds and butterflies.

Resembling a spineless thistle, the basket-flower grows up to 150 cm (5 feet) tall and has stout branching stems that bear oblong leaves arranged alternately. The rose-coloured compact heads of disk flowers are surrounded by fringed bracts, similar in appearance to a woven basket. The seeds are borne in achene fruits and are wind-dispersed.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.