Volutaria muricata

Morocco knapweed

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Morocco knapweed is a naturalized annual found in southern California coastal areas in disturbed sites at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces pale flowers in solitary heads approximately 15 to 18 millimeters wide with dark-margined phyllaries. Growing with stems up to 50 centimeters tall covered in soft, jointed hairs, it has a distinctive branching habit. Its lower leaves are oblanceolate and deeply lobed, while upper leaves become progressively smaller and more linear, with soft hairy surfaces dotted with minute glands. The flower heads feature involucre phyllaries with spine tips up to 5 millimeters long, creating an intricate architectural structure.

Habitat: Disturbed sites

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: SCo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.