Native and Invading Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) Microbiomes Differ in Composition and Diversity of Bacteria

Variation in the oxidative burst in response to wounding and bacterial infection among native and invading genotypes of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis)

● Premise of the study: Invasive plants may leave enemies behind when they colonize a new habitat, allowing selection to favor increased investment in growth and/or reproduction over defensive traits. Previous studies have identified reduced diversity of potential bacterial pathogens and evolutionary increases in growth and reproduction in invading populations of yellow starthistle (Centaurea s...

In vitro culturing of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) for screening biological control agents

In an effort to design a bioassay to screen for biocontrol pathogens and their toxins, procedures were developed to produce calli of yellow starthistle (YST), Centaurea solstitialis (Asteraceae), on solid and liquid media. Three Murashige and Skoog (MS) media with different hormone additives were compared for their effects on the growth of the YST calli. The most effective medium was made of MS...

A Structural Growth Model of the Invasive Weed Species Yellow Starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis L

Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) is a summer-flowering annual plant of the family Asteraceae, and a significant weed of roadsides, pasture and grasslands in California. It is also distributed, though with less economic and ecological significance, throughout the US and in other temperate parts of the world. Yellow starthistle grows vigorously during the dormant period for most nat...

Pollinator Interactions with Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) across Urban, Agricultural, and Natural Landscapes

Pollinator-plant relationships are found to be particularly vulnerable to land use change. Yet despite extensive research in agricultural and natural systems, less attention has focused on these interactions in neighboring urban areas and its impact on pollination services. We investigated pollinator-plant interactions in a peri-urban landscape on the outskirts of the San Francisco Bay Area, Ca...

Biological Control of Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) in the Salmon River Canyon of Idaho