Dictionary:

scabiosa

  (skā'bē-ō'sə, -zə, skăb'ē-)

See scabious².

[New Latin Scabiōsa, genus name, from Medieval Latin (herba) scabiōsa, (herb) for scabies, scabious, feminine of Latin scabiōsus, mangy, from scabiēs, itch. See scabies.]

Skay'bi-o'sa. Scabious ; Pincushion . About 80 species of herbs found mostly in the temperate regions.

Description
Leaves simple, opposite, ovalish or lance-shaped, often lobed or deeply cut. Flowering stalk long. Flowers in terminal heads, surrounded by 2 rows of small leafy bracts, blue, purple, brownish black, reddish brown, pink, cream, or white. Calyx represented by bristles. Corolla tubular, sometimes 2-lipped, with lower lip greatly extended. Stamens 4.

How to Grow
Easy to grow and long-flowering in average garden soil. Sow indoors or in a cold frame in early spring. Transplant outdoors, 1 ft. (30 cm) apart, in sunny spot after danger of frost is past. A quick second crop can be grown in the South by sowing seeds in late summer. The species below prefer warm weather.

Scabiosa atropurpurea
Sweet Scabious ; Mourning Bride . 2-3 ft. (60-90 cm) high, branching. Flowers double, dark purple, pink, or white, the heads to 2 in. (5 cm) across. Europe. One of the best cut flowers. There are many cultivars. Half-hardy annual.

Scabiosa stellata
To 18 in. (45 cm) high. Flowers blue or rose-violet, in heads to 1 ƈ in. (3 cm) wide. Whole plant finely-hairy. Good dried flower. W. Mediterranean region. Half-hardy annual.

The botanical name for pincushion flower.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: any of various plants of the genus Scabiosa
  Synonym: scabious

Scabiosa
Scabiosa columbaria Pink Mist
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Dipsacales Family: Dipsacaceae Genus: Scabiosa
Species
See Species section.

Scabiosa 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 insects including Lepidoptera such as the Six-spot Burnet moth. Scabiosa species are also used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Grey Pug.

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 lucida - Glossy scabious
• Scabiosa maritima
• Scabiosa ochraleuca - Yellow scabious, Cream pincushions
• Scabiosa palaestrina - Balkan pincushions
• Scabiosa prolifera - Carmel daisy
• Scabiosa stellata - Sweet scabious, starflower pincushions, Paper moon (variety).
• Scabiosa triandra - Southern scabious
• Scabiosa vestinahsb:Błyšćaty rupač

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