Cnicus benedictus L.

Cnicus benedictus L.. Centaurea benedicta, known by the common names St. Benedict's thistle, blessed thistle, holy thistle, spotted thistle or blessed knapweed, is an annual thistle-like plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Mediterranean Europe and western and Central Asia, ranging from Portugal and Spain to southeastern Europe, Ukraine and southern European Russia, Saudi Arabia, Xinjiang, and Pakistan. It is known in other parts of the world, including parts of North America, as an introduced species and often a noxious weed.