General: Upright biennual branching above the base. First year growth a basal rosette of leaves. Stems angled, rough hairy with matted hairs. Foliage greyish-green. 

Has been designated a prohibited weed in Saskatchewan.

Flowers: Flower heads grow singly on the end of stems. Outer ray florets divided into 4 or 5 threadlike segments, outer rays sterile. Disk florets are fertile. Ray and disk florets pink in colour. We measured a large flower head at 41 mm diameter, more typically were 30-35 mm diameter. Involucre bracts imbricate (overlapping as shingles on a roof), striate, with a black tip, the tips of the bracts with a fringe of hairs. We measured an involucre at 7 mm diameter, and 10 mm tall.

Leaves: Leaves are alternate, basal and lower stem leaves pinnatifid, top leaves entire. We  measured a basal leaf at 23 cm long (including petiole) and 7.5 cm wide. Leaves punctate, rough hairy.

Height: Height in Budd's Flora is listed to 100 cm, we measured plants to 79 cm tall.

Habitat: Waste ground and roadsides.

Abundance: Uncommon.

Origin: Introduced.

Synonym: Listed in some of the field guides we use as Centaurea maculosa.

When and where photographed: These photos were taken July 15th and July 20th, waste ground in the north end of Regina, SK.