View source for Scabiosa

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Dipsacaceae
|genus=Scabiosa
|common_name=Scabious
|name_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|lifespan=perennial, annual
|life_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|features=flowers
|flowers=blue, purple, white
|Temp Metric=°F
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
|image=Scabiosa columbaria Pink Mist.jpg
|image_width=200
|image_caption=''Scabiosa columbaria'' Pink Mist
}}
'''''Scabiosa''''' ({{pron-en|skeɪbiˈoʊsə}})<ref>''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607</ref> 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 [[insect]]s including [[Lepidoptera]] such as the [[Six-spot Burnet]] [[moth]]. ''Scabiosa'' species are also used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Grey Pug]].

{{Inc|
Scabiosa (Latin, itch, referring to medicinal use). Dipsacaceae. Scabious. Mourning Bride. Annual or perennial herbs, their base more or less woody, comprising some of the showy and commonly cultivated garden flowers.

Leaves entire, dentate-lobate or dissected: heads terminal, depressed subglobose or ovoid-conical, pedunculate or rarely sessile in a dichotomous infl.; bracts of the involucre l-2-rowed, herbaceous: fls. blue, rose, yellowish, or white; calyx bristly; corolla-limb 4-5-cleft, subequal or frequently oblique or 2-lipped; stamens 4, very rarely 2: achene adnate to the involucel at the base or up to the middle.—About 70 species, Eu., Asia, and Afr., rare in the tropics.

In any moderately good garden soil a succession of flowers is produced from June until frost. The flowers are very serviceable for cutting purposes. Propagated by seed or division. Many of the perennial species act like biennials in cultivation, and often flower the first year from seed. S. atropurpurea is a common garden annual, of easy cultivation from seed.

S. alpina, Linn. –Cephalaria alpina, Schrad. — S. elata, Hornem. –Cephalaria tatarica, Schrad. —S. lutea, Hort., is a perennial growing 5-7 ft. high : fls. yellow, not known botanically. Var. gigantea, Hort., is also offered in the trade. —S. tatarica, Linn. –Cephalaria tatarica, Schrad.
{{SCH}}
}}

==Cultivation==


===Propagation===


===Pests and diseases===


==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 incisa]]''
*''[[Scabiosa lucida]]'' - Glossy scabious
*''[[Scabiosa maritima]]''
*''[[Scabiosa minoana]]''
*''[[Scabiosa ochroleuca]]'' - Yellow scabious, Cream pincushions 
*''[[Scabiosa palaestrina]]'' - Balkan pincushions
*''[[Carmel daisy|Scabiosa prolifera]]'' - Carmel daisy
*''[[Scabiosa stellata]]'' - Sweet scabious, starflower pincushions, Paper moon (variety). 
*''[[Scabiosa triandra]]'' - Southern scabious
*''[[Scabiosa vestina]]''

==Gallery==
<gallery perrow=5>
File:Scabiosa atropurpurea.jpg
File:Scabiosa ochroleucaG2.jpg
File:Scabiosa graminifolia.JPG
File:Scabiosa stellata.jpg
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

==External links==
*{{wplink}}

{{stub}}
__NOTOC__