Dipsacaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Dipsacaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Dipsacaceae (from the genus Dipsacus, derived from the Greek to thirst, in allusion to the water-holding leaf-bases). Teasel Family. Fig. 56. Annual or perennial herbs: leaves opposite, rarely whorled: flowers small, bisexual, mostly irregular, epigynous, in dense involucrate heads; each flower also surrounded by a cup-shaped, more or less scarious, involucre, which is a metamorphosed bracteole; calyx of setaceous segments or crown-like, or plumose, or various; corolla 4-5-lobed, gamopetalous, usually irregular; lobes imbricated; stamens 4, rarely 2-3, mostly epipetalous; ovary inferior, 1-celled, 1-ovuled; style 1; stigmas 2: fruit an achene. The family has 10 genera and about 150 species, all natives of warm-temperate regions of the Old World, and mostly of the eastern Mediterranean region. The family is related to the Valerianaceae, and more distantly to the Composite. The gamopetalous corolla, 2 carpels, involucrate heads and involucrate flowers are distinctive. Dipsacus and Scabiosa have been used in medicine. The spiny hooked bracts of Dipsacus ferox (fuller's teasel of southwestern Asia) have been used to full cloth, whence the common name; and the plant was once cultivated extensively for this purpose. The connate leaf-bases of Dipsacus sylvestris hold several ounces of rain-water until evaporated. This contrivance may be of benefit in preventing the ascent of harmful insects. Four genera are in cultivation in North America: Cephalaria, Morina, and Scabiosa as ornamental plants; Dipsacus ferox (D. fullonum), locally cultivated in New York state for fulling cloth. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

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