Centaurea solstitialis
Yellow star-thistle | |
---|---|
Yellow star-thistle flower | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Centaurea |
Species: | C. solstitialis
|
Binomial name | |
Centaurea solstitialis |
Centaurea solstitialis, the yellow star-thistle, is a species of thorny plant in the genus
Description
Centaurea solstitialis is an
Similar species
Similar species include purple star-thistle (Centaurea calcitrapa), sulphur star-thistle (C. sulphurea), Maltese star-thistle (C. melitensis), and rough star-thistle (C. aspera).[3] Bachelor's button (C. cyaneus) is a relative.[2]
Ecology
Centaurea solstitialis is a
Star-thistle is a valuable source of pollen, thus nectar for pollinators. Yellow star-thistle, a noted pest plant, is a major nectar source for many central valleys and foothill butterflies.[8] Star-thistle populates ground that has been abused: dry, compacted, or scraped clean. A plant with a taproot system, it has a crucial role in restoring the soil by bringing up vital micronutrients. Similar to many plants classified as 'weeds', they (in the words of Mark Schonbeck) "quickly establish in, protect, and restore soil that has been left exposed by natural and human-caused disturbances".[9]
C. solstitialis grows as a balanced part of the
The yellow star-thistle plant has the ability to create
As an invasive species
The introduction of C. solstitialis in
In California, yellow star-thistle was dispersed into agricultural fields and immediately took hold in the state's areas with a
After the turn of the 20th century, Spain, France, Italy, and perhaps Turkestan were also likely sources of the invasion's seed in California.[11] Since its introduction to California in the mid-19th century,[11] it has become a large-scale invasive species (noxious weed or invasive exotic) throughout 23 U.S. states. It currently dominates over 15,000,000 acres (61,000 square kilometres) in California alone.[13][14]
By 1970,
Chemical control
Most herbicides used for controlling yellow star-thistle are registered for range lands, right-of-way, and other non-crop areas. Many
Aminocyclopyrachlor + chlorsulfuron, aminopyralid, chlorsulfuron, clopyralid, clopyralid + 2,4-D, dicamba, diflufenzopyr + dicamba, picloram, and triclopyr + clopyralid for the Pacific Northwest of North America.[20]
A yellow star-thistle biotype
Picloram-resistant C. solstitialis has been observed which had cross-resistance to clopyralid, dicamba, and fluroxypyr, but not triclopyr or 2,4-D.[23]
Biological control
Yellow star-thistle is sometimes resistant to removal methods such as mowing and burning, because of its long root system and the seeds' ability to withstand fire. The plant has been the target of biological pest control programs with positive results. Seven types of seed-feeding insects have been released (one accidentally) to control the plant.[24][25]
Insects
Three species of weevil in the beetle subfamily Cleoninae effectively reduce seed production in the yellow star-thistle.
- Yellow star-thistle bud weevil (Bangasternus orientalis) is a fuzzy brown weevil that lays its eggs in the flowers, and when its larvae hatch, they feed on the developing seed.[26]
- Yellow star-thistle hairy weevil (Eustenopus villosus) is a long-snouted, hairy-looking weevil that lays a single egg inside each flower bud. The larva then consumes the seeds within.[27][28]
- Yellow star-thistle flower weevil (Larinus curtus) is a brownish weevil that lays eggs in the flowers as it feeds on the pollen. The larvae then eat the seeds when they hatch.[29] This insect has failed to established dense populations in the United States.[30][31]
Four species of
- Yellow star-thistle peacock fly and false peacock fly (Chaetorellia australis and Chaetorellia succinea, respectively, the latter released unintentionally) are small nectar-feeding flies that deposit eggs into the seedheads, where their larvae consume the seeds and flower ovaries.[32]
- Banded yellow star-thistle gall fly (Urophora sirunaseva) produces larvae that pupate within a woody gall within the flower and disrupt seed production.[33]
- Another gall fly Urophora jaculata was released in 1969 but never established.[34]
Fungi
A variety of the
Grazing
Grazing by goats, cattle, or sheep can be effective in controlling yellow star-thistle.[38] Goats will eat star-thistle even in its spiny stage.[39] Because yellow star-thistle growth is particularly difficult to inhibit in canyon rangelands since its remoteness limits control options, goats and other herbivores have become an excellent option to curb the plant's spread. According to one study, grazing has decreased yellow star-thistle presence by 58% when compared to the study's controls. Subplots also showed a 94% decrease in seed heads after only three years of experimentation.[40]
Integrated methods
California researchers (Thomsen et al., 1996) tested mowing, controlled sheep grazing and subterranean clover plantings to control star-thistle growth. According to the researchers, subclover would help fill the void left by star-thistle populations.[41]
They compared subclover seeding, grazing, two mowings, grazing + mowing without subclover – and an untouched control without grazing, subclover, or mowing. Thistle seed production was 130 times higher where only one mowing was done, and 1,720 times higher where nothing was done, as compared to the area that had been grazed and mowed twice. Excellent yellow star-thistle control can be achieved with the combination of competing plants, mowing, and rotational grazing.[42]
Research
Although these
Toxicity
Grazing of the plant by horses can cause nigropallidal encephalomalacia or "chewing disease", a neurological condition. The disease generally follows consumption of 60–200% of the horse's body weight over an extended period of a month or more, or 2.3–2.6 kilograms (5.1–5.7 pounds) of star-thistle per 100 kg (220 lb) body weight per day. Though star-thistle is most dangerous when it is the only plant available or is delivered as a contaminant in dried hay, horses may develop a taste for it and seek it out. Many other grazing species, including mules and burros, are not affected.[46]
Uses
Although the spines make the plant a pain to deal with, it produces a light honey.[2]
See also
References
- ^ DiTomaso, J (2001). "Element Stewarship Abstract for Centaurea solstitialis" (PDF). The Nature Conservancy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-375-40233-3.
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- ^ a b "GBIF".
- ^ Hierro, J. L., Eren, Ö., Khetsuriani, L., Diaconu, A., Török, K., Montesinos, D., … Callaway, R. M. (2009). Germination responses of an invasive species in native and non-native ranges. Oikos, 118(4), 529–538. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17283.x
- ^ Graebner, R. C., Callaway, R. M., & Montesinos, D. (2012). Invasive species grows faster, competes better, and shows greater evolution toward increased seed size and growth than exotic non-invasive congeners. Plant Ecology, 213(4), 545–553. doi:10.1007/s11258-012-0020-x
- ^ Montesinos, D., Santiago, G., & Callaway, R. M. (2012). Neo-allopatry and rapid reproductive isolation. The American Naturalist, 180(4), 529–33. doi:10.1086/667585
- ^ "Toby Hemenway - Author & Permaculturalist".
- ^ "An Ecological Understanding of Weeds - eXtension". Archived from the original on 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
- ^ Yellow star-thistle species profile from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Invasive Species Information Center
- ^ a b c d Yellow Starthistle Information Archived 2005-07-11 at the Wayback Machine from a University of California, Davis (UCD) website
- ^ Directorate, Government of Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Plant Health and Biosecurity (2012-03-15). "Yellow starthistle – Centaurea solstitialis L." www.inspection.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - KiB), Mount DiabloInterpretive Association. Retrieved on 2008-10-15.
- ^ a b 1970 UCD Yellow Starthistle Information website - Map of Distribution of yellow star-thistle in the U.S. Archived December 31, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- KiB), USDA Forest Service. Retrieved on 2008-10-15.
- hdl:10150/639926.
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- ^ DiTomaso, Joseph (2006). "Control of Invasive Weeds with Prescribed Burning". Weed Technology. 20: 535–548.
- ^ "UC IPM Online". Ipm.ucdavis.edu. 2005-05-20. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
- ^ "Starthistle, yellow (Centaurea solstitialis), purple (Centaurea calcitrapa), and Iberian (Centaurea iberica)". Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks. Pacific Northwest Extension (Oregon, Washington, Idaho). 2015-11-10. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ^ Fuerst E.P., Sterling T.M., Norman M.A., Prather T.S., Irzyk G.P., Wu Y., Lownds N.K., and Callihan R.H., 1996. Physiological characterization of picloram resistance in yellow star-thistle. Pest Biochem Physiol 56:149–161.
- ^ Sabba R.P., Ray I.M., Lownds N. and Sterling T.N., 2003. Inheritance of resistance to clopyralid and picloram in yellow star-thistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) is controlled by a single nuclear recessive gene. J. Heredity 94(6): 523-527.
- ^ "Pest Selector". Agriculture and Forestry Ministry. Alberta, Canada. 2011-11-24. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ^ "Biology and Biological Control of Yellow Starthistle" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-04-28.
- ^ Pitcairn, M. J., B.Villegas, D. M. Woods, R. Yacoub, and D. B. Joley. 2008. Evaluating implementation success for seven seed head insects on Centaurea solstitialis in California, USA, pp. 610-616. In M. H. Julien, R. Sforza, M. C. Bon, H. C. Evans, P. E. Hatcher, H. L. Hinz, and B. G. Rector (eds.), Proceedings of the XII International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds. La Grande Motte, Montpellier, France (in press).
- ^ Campobasso, G.; Sobhian, R.; Knutson, L.; Terragitti, G. 1998. Host specificity of Bangasternus orientalis Capiomont (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) introduced into the United States for biological control of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L., Asteraceae: Carduae). Environmental entomology,. v. 27 (6), pp. 1525–1530.
- ^ Fornasari, L., and R. Sobhain. 1993. Life history of Eustenopus villosus (Coleoptera' Curculionidae), a promising biological control agent for yellow starthistle. Environ. Entomol. 22: 684-692.
- ^ Connett, J.F.; Wilson, L.M.; McCaffrey, J.P.; Harmon, B.L. 2001. Phenological synchrony of Eustenopus villosus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) with Centaurea solstitialis in Idaho. Environmental entomology, v. 30 (2), pp. 439–442.
- ^ Fornasari, L. and C.E. Turner. 1992. Host specificity of the Palearctic weevil Larinus curtus Hochut (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a natural enemy of Centaurea solstitialis L. (Asteraceae: Cardueae). In: Proceedings of the Eighth International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds. 2–7 February 1992. Lincoln University, Canter- 1bury, New Zealand, 385-391
- ^ Pitcairn, M. J., G. L. Piper, and E. M. Coombs. 2004. Yellow starthistle, pp. 421-435. In E. M. Coombs, J. K. Clark, G. L. Piper, and A. F. Cofrancesco, Jr. (eds.), Biological control of invasive plants in the United States. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR
- ^ Pitcairn, M. J., D. M. Woods, and V. Popescu. 2005. Update on the long-term monitoring of the combined impact of biological control insects on yellow starthistle, pp. 27-30. In D. M. Woods (ed.), Biological control program annual summary, 2004. California Department of Food and Agriculture, Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services, Sacramento, CA
- ^ Turner, C.E., G.L. Piper and E.M. Coombs. 1996. Chaetorellia australis (Diptera: Tephritidae) for biological control of yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis (Compositae), in the western USA: establishment and seed destruction. Bull. Entomol. Res. 86: 1 77-182.
- ^ Sobhian, R. 1993. Life history and host specificity of Urophora sirunaseva (Herng)(Dipt., Tephritidae), an agent for biological control of yellow starthistle, with remarks on the host plant. J. Appl. Entomol. 116: 381–390.
- ^ Turner, C.E., Johnson, J.B., McCaffrey, J.P., 1994. Yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis L. (Asteraceae). In: Nechols, J.R. (Ed.), Biological Control in the U.S. Western Region: Accomplishments and Benefits of Regional Research Project W-84 (1964-1989). Division of Agriculture and Natural Research, University of California, Berkeley, pp. 274–279
- ^ Fungus Unleashed To Combat Yellow Star-thistle from the U.S. Department of Agriculture website
- ^ ISSN 1049-9644.
- ^ Voigt K., A.V. Marano, & F.H. Gleason. 2013. Ecological & Economical Importance of Parasitic Zoosporic True Fungi. in: The Mycota: A Comprehensive Treatise on Fungi as Experimental Systems for Basic & Applied Research Vol. 11 Agricultural Applications. 2nd edition Eds: K. Esser & F. Kempken. New York: Springer pp. 243–270.
- ^ [1] Archived June 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Yellow Starthistle Management Guidelines-UC IPM". Ipm.ucdavis.edu. 2005-05-20. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
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- ^ "Thistle Control Alternatives". www.agrisk.umn.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
- ^ "Natural Control of Yellow Star Thistle | Organic Gardening Blog". Archived from the original on 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
- ^ Smith, L. 2007. Physiological host range of Ceratapion basicorne, a prospective biological control agent of Centaurea solstitialis (Asteraceae). Biol. Control 41: 120-133.
- ^ de Lillo et al. 2003
- ^ Smith, L. 2004. Prospective new agents for biological control of yellow starthistle, pp. 136-138. Proceedings 56th Annual California Weed Science Society, 12–14 January 2004, Sacramento, CA
- ^ Joseph M. Ditomaso; Guy B. Kyser; Michael J. Pitcairn (June 2006). "Yellow Starthistle Management Guide" (PDF). California Invasive Plant Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- USDA - " Larinus filiformis as a Biological control agent for Centaurea solstitialis (flowerhead feeding weevil)
- Balciunas, J. K., and B. Villegas; "Unintentionally released Chaetorellia succinea (Diptera: Tephritidae): Is this natural enemy of yellow starthistle a threat to safflower growers?"; Environ. Entomol. 30: 953-963; pub. 2001.
External links
- Media related to Centaurea solstitialis at Wikimedia Commons
- Species Profile - Yellow Star Thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library. Lists general information and resources for Yellow Star Thistle.
- USDA PLANTS Database - Centaurea solstitialis (yellow star-thistle)
- U.C. Jepson Manual treatment - Centaurea solstitialis
- Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands - Centaurea solstitialis, California Invasive Plant Council
- Plants of Texas Rangelands - Starthistles, Texas A&M University Extension
- Centaurea solstitialis in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley
- "Centaurea solstitialis". Plants for a Future.