Editing Centaurea (section)

==Description==
Knapweeds are robust [[weed]]y plants. Their leaves, spiny in some species, are usually deeply divided into elongated lobes at least in the plants' lower part, becoming entire towards the top. The "flowers" (actually [[pseudanthium]] [[inflorescence]]s) are diverse in colour, ranging from intense blues, reds and yellows to any mixture of these and lighter shades towards white. Often, the [[disk flower]]s are much darker or lighter than the [[ray flower]]s, which also differ in [[morphology (biology)|morphology]] and are [[sterile (biology)|sterile]]. Each pseudanthium sits atop a cup- or basket-like cluster of scaly [[bract]]s, hence the name "basketflowers". Many species, in particular those inhabiting more [[arid]] regions, have a long and strong [[taproot]].

[[File:Centaurea nigra-floro.jpg|thumb|left|[[Common knapweed]] (''[[Centaurea nigra|C. nigra]]''), perhaps the single most abundant ''Centaurea'' species of England]]
[[File:Centaurea tchihatcheffii yanardoner sevgi 05668.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Centaurea tchihatcheffii]]'' (locally known as ''Yanardöner''), a highly distinctive and rare knapweed [[endemic]] to Turkey]]