Rhaponticum repens
Asteraceae
Russian Knapweed
Erect stems from black, mealy, creeping roots, have matted hairs pointing upward. Lower leaves oblong, lobed; upper leaves linear, entire or toothed. Flowers small, dark maroon, blue, or white in papery tan cups with several rows of bracts. Grows in cultivated soils, roadsides, in wet and dry areas to subalpine. Noxious weed, toxic to horses. All parts taste extremely bitter.
- Rarity: Locally Common
- Flowering Time: Early Summer, Mid Summer, Late Summer
- Flower Form: Spiny leaves, Thistle
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Height: 12–40 inches
- Habitat: Disturbed, Meadow, Shrub-Steppe
- Found In: Investations in Various Places
- Native: No
- Latin Synonyms: Centaurea repens, Acroptilon repens
