Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Dipsacales
Family: Dipsacaceae
Genus: Scabiosa
Species
See Species section.
Scabiosa is a genus in the teasel Family Dipsacaceae 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 Knautia and Succisa; 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 Europe and Asia. 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 insects including Lepidoptera such as the Six-spot Burnet moth. Scabiosa species are also used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Grey Pug.
In 1782, a mysterious pale yellow scabious, called Scabiosa trenta, was described by Belsazar Hacquet, 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 Alps, especially Julius Kugy. The Austrian botanist Anton Kerner von Marilaun later proved Belsazar Hacquet had not found a new species, but a specimen of the already known submeditteranean Cephalaria leucantha.[1]
Species
Among others:
Scabiosa atropurpurea - 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 in SE England
Scabiosa graminifolia
Scabiosa lucida - Glossy scabious
Scabiosa maritima
Scabiosa ochraleuca - Yellow scabious, Cream pincushions
Scabiosa palaestrina - Balkan pincushions
Scabiosa prolifera - Carmel daisy
Scabiosa stellata - Sweet scabious, starflower pincushions, Paper moon (variety).
Scabiosa triandra - Southern scabious
Scabiosa vestina
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabiosa
