Over the weekend, the Sacramento Bee published an article discussing the invasiveness and spread of yellow starthiste (Centaurea solstitialis) in California. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/21/3847369/invasive-yellow-star-thistle-aims.html
It was written as an "interview" with the weed which, although a little cute for me, may help the general public understand a bit more about yellow starthistle which currently infests over 15 million acres of rangeland and noncrop areas of California.
For folks interested in more scientific information on yellow starthistle biology, ecology, and management in California and other arid western states, here are a few web resources:
The definitive (78 pages!) Yellow Starthistle Management Guide was written by Joe DiTomaso, Guy Kyser, and Mike Pitcairn a couple years ago and is available at the California Invasive Plants Council (Cal-IPC) website:
http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/pdf/YSTMgmtweb.pdf
or
http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/yst.php
The UC Integrated Pest Managment Program has a Yellow Starthistle Pest Note targeted for homeowners etc at: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnyellowstarthistle.pdf
General info on YST can be found numerous places from universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations across the western U.S. such as:
http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/plant_profiles/Centaurea_solstitialis.php
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=4390
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaurea_solstitialis
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/WEEDS/profile_yellowstarthistle.shtml
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/ceso1.htm
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/ipc/ystmapping/ystmapping_hp.htm
Take care,
Brad
