Succisa pratensis
Habit | herbaceous
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Height: | ⇕ | 12 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 12. to 36 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 36. |
Width: | ⇔ | 6 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 6. to 12 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 12. |
Lifespan: | ⌛ | perennial |
Bloom: | ❀ | early summer, mid summer, late summer, early fall, mid fall, late fall |
Exposure: | ☼ | sun, part-sun |
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Water: | ◍ | moist, moderate |
Features: | ✓ | flowers |
USDA Zones: | 5 to 9 | |
Flower features: | ❀ | blue, purple |
Succisa > |
Succisa pratensis Moench also known as Devils-bit Scabious, is a flowering plant of the genus Succisa in the family Dipsacaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has 4 lobed flowers, whereas Small Scabious and Field scabious have 5 lobes and hence it has been placed in a separate genus in the same family[1]. It also grows on damper ground[2].
Its leaves are also un-lobed unlike Field scabious[3], and are arranged in opposite pairs. The leaves and plant can be confused with Greater Knapweed however Knapweed has leaves that are alternate, not opposite.
It prefers moist soil - damp meadows and woods, lowland heath, marshy areas; but will tolerate drier conditions. Male and female flowers are produced on different heads, the female being smaller[4]. Flowers from June until October.
It is a good source of nectar and is the foodplant of Marsh fritillary, whose eggs are laid in groups on the underside of the plant, and Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris tityus. As both plant and invertebrates are rare, their survival relies on careful management of sites containing these species.
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References
External links
- w:Succisa pratensis. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
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