Scabiosa is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
in the teasel Family
DipsacaceaeThe Dipsacaceae, or teasel family, of the order Dipsacales contains 350 species of perennial or biennial herbs and shrubs in eleven genera. Native to most temperate climates, they are found in Europe, Asia and Africa...
of flowering plants. Many of the species in this genus have common names that include the word
scabious; however some plants commonly known as scabious are currently classified in related genera such as
KnautiaKnautia is a genus in the family Dipsacaceae. The common names of these flowers are a variant of "widow flower." Others are given the name "Scabious," although this word belongs to a related genus .Species include:...
and
SuccisaSuccisa is a genus of flowering plants in the Dipsacaceae family.Species include the Devil's bit, Succisa pratensis....
; at least some of these were formerly placed in
Scabiosa. Another common name for members of this genus is
pincushion flowers.
Members of this genus are native to
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
.
Scabiosa is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
in the teasel Family
DipsacaceaeThe Dipsacaceae, or teasel family, of the order Dipsacales contains 350 species of perennial or biennial herbs and shrubs in eleven genera. Native to most temperate climates, they are found in Europe, Asia and Africa...
of flowering plants. Many of the species in this genus have common names that include the word
scabious; however some plants commonly known as scabious are currently classified in related genera such as
KnautiaKnautia is a genus in the family Dipsacaceae. The common names of these flowers are a variant of "widow flower." Others are given the name "Scabious," although this word belongs to a related genus .Species include:...
and
SuccisaSuccisa is a genus of flowering plants in the Dipsacaceae family.Species include the Devil's bit, Succisa pratensis....
; at least some of these were formerly placed in
Scabiosa. Another common name for members of this genus is
pincushion flowers.
Members of this genus are native to
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
. Some species of
Scabiosa, notably small scabious (
S. columbaria) and Mediterranean sweet scabious (
S. atropurpurea) have been developed into cultivars for gardeners.
Scabiosa plants have many small flowers of soft lavender blue, lilac or creamy white colour borne in a single head on a tall stalk. Scabious flowers are nectar rich and attract a variety of
insectInsects are arthropods, having a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million species that are already described. Insects represent more than half of all...
s including
LepidopteraLepidoptera is an order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
such as the
Six-spot BurnetThe Six-spot Burnet is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is a common species throughout Europe.The sexes are similar and have a wingspan of 30-40 mm. The forewings are dark metallic green with 6 vivid red spots...
mothA moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. The differences between butterflies and moths are more than just taxonomy. Sometimes the names "Rhopalocera" and "Heterocera" are used to formalize the popular distinction...
.
Scabiosa species are also used as food plants by the
larvaA larva is a young form of animal with indirect development, going through or undergoing metamorphosis ....
e of some
LepidopteraLepidoptera is an order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species including
Grey PugThe Grey Pug is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East.The forewings of this species are grey marked with pale fascia and radial lines which give it a mottled appearance. The hindwings are much paler and plainer. Melanism is quite common in...
.
In 1782, a mysterious pale yellow scabious, called
Scabiosa trenta, was described by
Belsazar HacquetBelsazar de la Motte Hacquet, was an Austrian physician and scientist who was born in Le Conquet, France. He studied in Vienna, and was a surgeon during the Seven Years' War. Later he was an instructor of anatomy and natural sciences in Laibach , and in 1788 was a professor at the University of...
, an Austrian physician, botanist, and mountaineer, in his work
Plantae alpinae Carniolicae. It became a great source of inspiration for later botanists and mountaineers discovering the
Julian AlpsThe Julian Alps are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from north-eastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 metres at the Triglav mountain. They are named after Julius Caesar, who founded the municipium of Cividale del Friuli at the foot of the mountains...
, especially
Julius KugyJulius Kugy was a Slovene mountaineer and writer.- Biography :Julius Kugy was born in Gorizia, then part of the Austrian Empire to Slovene parents. His father was a Carinthian Slovene whose original surname was Kogej. His mother was the daughter of the poet Jovan Vesel Koseski. Julius was...
. The Austrian botanist
Anton Kerner von MarilaunAnton Kerner von Marilaun was an Austrian botanist and professor at the University of Vienna.-Career:Kerner was born in Mautern, Lower Austria on 12 November 1831, and studied Medicine in Vienna followed by an education in Natural History, for which he carried out phytosociologic studies in...
later proved Belsazar Hacquet had not found a new species, but a specimen of the already known submediterranean
Cephalaria leucantha.
SpeciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
Among others:
- Scabiosa atropurpurea
Scabiosa atropurpurea is an ornamental plant of Scabiosa genus in the Dipsacaceae family....
- Mourning bride, Egyptian rose, Mournful widow, Mediterranean sweet scabious. A hybrid cultivar?
- Scabiosa canescens - Fragrant scabious
- Scabiosa caucasica - Caucasian pincushion flower
- Scabiosa columbaria - Pigeon scabious, Pincushion flower, Small scabious, Dove pincushion; found wild on chalk downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
in SE EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
- Scabiosa graminifolia
- Scabiosa lucida - Glossy scabious
- Scabiosa maritima
- Scabiosa ochroleuca - Yellow scabious, Cream pincushions
- Scabiosa palaestrina - Balkan pincushions
- Scabiosa prolifera
The Carmel daisy is a flowering plant of the family Dipsacales. Its flowers are creamy yellow, and when the petals are shed they leave a greenish-looking dried flower, good for arrangements....
- Carmel daisy
- Scabiosa stellata - Sweet scabious, starflower pincushions, Paper moon (variety).
- Scabiosa triandra - Southern scabious
- Scabiosa vestina