These are the cornflowers and knapweeds, with very characteristic composite heads of long-petalled outer, sterile, florets and a boss of shorter, fertile florets. This array is surrounded by neatly overlapping bracts, hairy at the upper edge. There are hundreds of species of Centaurea in Europe, so identification is often difficult.

Centaurea cheiranthifolia has ivory coloured, spidery cornflower-shaped flowers carried on stems above vigorous, silvery-green woolly foliage. It may need staking. Grow well in coastal areas.