Latin name: Centaurea benedictus L.
Pronunciation: sen-TORE-ee-a ben-e-DIK-tus
Common name: Blessed thistle
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower)
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, waste places to 2500', South Coast, west Mojave Desert, naturalized from Europe
Blooming period: April to July
Name derivations: 1) Centaurea 2) benedictus
Formerly Cnicus benedictus
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