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Scabiosa is a genus in the Dipsacaceae Family, native to Europe and Asia. Some species, notably small scabious (S. columbaria) and Mediterranean sweet scabious (S. atropurpurea) have been developed into cultivars for gardeners. 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 Six-spot Burnet.
Species include:
- S. atropurpurea - mourning bride, Egyptian rose, mournful widow, Mediterranean sweet scabious. A hybrid cultivar?
- S. canescens - fragrant scabious
- S. caucasica -
- S. columbaria - pigeon scabious, pincushion flower, small scabious; found wild on chalk downland in SE England
- S. lucida - glossy scabious
- S. maritima -
- S. ochraleuca - yellow scabious
- S. prolifera - Carmel daisy
- S. stellata - sweet scabious, paper moon (variety).
- S. triandra - southern scabious