Scabiosa columbaria L. Pincushion Flower

Scabiosa columbaria L. - Pincushion Flower

Scientific Description:

Perennial (sometimes biennial?), stems glabrous or pubescent, often pilose below, reflexed-pubescent above, 30−80 cm. Leaves of sterile shoots, and lower leaves petiolate, lanceolate, oblong or obovate, crenate, dentate or lyrate, rarely entire, glabrous, sparsely or densely pubescent to pannose; upper leaves sessile, 1−2-pinnatisect, segments ovate to linear, entire or dentate. Involucral bracts 8−11, linear, usually shorter than flowers. Capitula 1.5−3 cm diam. , ± radiant; flowers lilac, pink, pale yellow or cream, occasionally white, outer flowers with entire petals. Fruiting head spherical or ovoid. Involucel 2−3.5 mm, 8-grooved with hairy ribs; corona c. 1.5 mm with 16−22 nerves. Calyx shortly stipitate; setae 3.5−9 mm long.

 

subsp. columbaria

Flowers pink or lilac.

 

var. columbaria

Lower leaves pubescent.

 

Flowering time: June−September.

Habitat: Roadsides, wasteland, rocky slopes, s.l.−2600 m.

 

Reference:
Matthews VA (1972). Scabiosa columbaria L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 4: 604.

Public Description:

Scabiosa columbaria, known as “pincushion flower”, is distributed in Europe, including Britain, south and east from the Arctic circle to North Africa, Siberia and West Asia. It is a perennial or biennial herb with lilac, pink, pale yellow, cream or seldom white flowers, and grows up to 80 cm in length. It blooms between June and September and is found in roadsides, wasteland and rocky slopes.

 

References:

Anonymous (2016). http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Scabiosa+columbaria/, Accessed date: 09.02.2016.

Göktür S R (2012). Scabiosa L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 319–322.