Centaurea seridis L.
A spreading or erect, rough hairy, grey-green, much branched perennial, to 50 cm. Lower leaves ovate-lanceolate, entire to pinnately lobed, lobes spiny toothed; the upper leaves lanceolate, generally entire and decurrent. Flower heads about 4 cm across, bright pink, solitary or in clusters. Ray florets absent. The outer florets larger than the inner ones and not fertile; the central ones paler pink or white. Involucre about 2 cm long, more or less spherical. Bracts in many layers, apical appendage with 6 to 9 spines palmately arranged in one plane, the central one longer than the others. Achenes 4 to 5 mm long, with a pappus of rough bristles 2 to 3 mm long.
Local: Common in Gibraltar all along the littoral and on coastal sands. Found all along the East Side, Europa and Windmill Hill Flats and at North Front.
Global: Also found along the west Mediterranean region and southern Spain and Portugal.
Flowers between April, May, June and July (September).
Littoral and on coastal sands.