SCABIOUSA ATROPURPUREA subsp. MARITIMA

Family and Genus:- See- DIPSACACEAE/Sect. CYRTOSTEMMA

Common Names:- Sweet scabious

Homotypic Synonyms:-

Meaning:- Scabious (L) Itch, derived from the word scabies, and once used as a

medicinal treatment for the disease.

Atropurpurea (L) Dark-purple coloured.

Maritima (L) Growing by the sea, maritime, of the sea.

General description:- Short to medium, subglabrous or somewhat hirsute

biennial.

Stem:-

1) 20-60 cm, branched.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, oblong-spathulate, entire or lyrate, long-petiolate.

2) Middle and upper, pinnatifid with entire or dentate segments.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula, 20-30 mm diam, oblong-ellipsoid in fruit.

2) Involucral bracts, narrowly lanceolate, wider towards base, as long as or shorter

than the florets.

3) Corolla, of marginal florets 12-18 mm, slightly longer than the central florets,

lilac to dark purple.

4) Involucel-tube, hispid or subglabrous.

5) Corona, about as long as the tube, with 8 veins. broadly infundibuliform.

6) Calyx, setae c. 3-5 times as long as the corona, on a long stipe.

Fruit:-

1) All with long calyx-setae.

Key features:-

1) Involucel-tube, longitudinally sulcate, but without pits.

2) Corona, with 8 veins. broadly infundibuliform.

3) Ribs of involucel-tube becoming wider and confluent at the margin.

4) All fruits in capitulum with long calyx-setae.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry grassland, field margins, roadsides, open scrub, olive groves. 0-1300

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean. Widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- April to mid July.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton & Enda McMullen