| Family | ASTERACEAE |
| Genus species | Centaurea polyacantha Willd. trib. Cardueae |
| Bibliography | Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 3: 2312 (1803) |
| Native Range | w. & s. Medit. |
| Primary Biome | Subtropical |
| Habitat | sandy grassland |
| Description | basal leaves in rosette, petiolate, lyrate, segments dentate, the terminal largest, stem leaves amplexicaule, runcinate-pinnatifid, arachnose, capitula solitary, ca. 5cm |
| Size | 5-15cm |
| Color | blue, purple |
| Bloom | spring |
| Ca | |
| Type | perennial |
| Cultivation | sunny site with a poor, sandy soil alpine house, sandy soil, sun |
| Propagation | seed in spring, dark, moist, germ. 1 month, 16-21°C cuttings in late summer |
| Synonyms | Calcitrapoides polyacantha (Willd.) Holub Centaurea hystrix Boiss. Centaurea polyacantha var. adpressa Maire Centaurea polyacantha f. colorata Maire Centaurea polyacantha var. genuina Maire Centaurea polyacantha f. pallida Maire Centaurea sphaerocephala ssp. polyacantha (Willd.) Dostál Centaurea sphaerocephala var. polyacantha (Willd.) Rivas Mart. Seridia polyacantha (Willd.) Sweet |
| Territory | 1 Europe 12 Southwestern Europe (POR Portugal, SPA Spain) 2 Africa 20 Northern Africa (ALG Algeria, LBY Libya, MOR Morocco, TUN Tunisia) |