DIPSACE^E. 405 



to southern Sweden. Occurs in most of the southern and central 

 counties of England, but not in Ireland or Scotland. Fl. summer and 

 autumn. 



II. SCABIOUS. SCABIOSA. 



Herbs, either annual or with a perennial stock, becoming shrubby in 

 some exotic species, without prickles. Heads of flowers hemispherical 

 or globular, with an involucre of small, green, not prickly bracts. [Re- 

 ceptacle bearing small not prickly scales, or hairs only, between the 

 florets. Involucels various. Corolla 4- or 5-lobed, often oblique. 

 Ovary and fruit crowned by the little, cup-shaped calycine border, 

 with 4, 5, or more teeth or bristles. 



This, the principal genus of the family, belongs chiefly to the Me- 

 diterranean region, a few species extending over the rest of Europe and 

 temperate Asia. Although not very numerous in species, it has been 

 broken up into 4, 5, or 6 genera, the three British species being re- 

 ferred severally to Succisa, Scabiosa, and Trichera or Knautia. 



Leaves entire or nearly so. Florets 4-lobed, the outer ones 



scarcely larger than the others 1. Blue S. 



Leaves toothed or divided. Outer florets of each head usually 

 much larger and more oblique. 

 Florets 5-lobed. Involucel with a spreading, scarious border. 



Fruit crowned by 5 bristles 2. Small S. 



Floret3 4-lobed. Involucel very short. Fruit crowned by 

 minute teeth 3. Field S. 



The annual siveet Scabious (S. atropurpurea) and some other exotic 

 species are occasionally cultivated in our flower-gardens. 



1. Blue Scabious. Scabiosa succisa, Linn. (Fig. 487.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 878. DeviVs-bit.) 



Eootstock short and thick, ending abruptly below as if it had been 

 bit off. Leaves mostly radical, stalked, ovate or oblong and entire, 

 glabrous or with a few long hairs on the upper surface ; those of the 

 stem few and oblong, occasionally marked with 1 or 2 teeth. Stems 1 

 to 2 feet high, w ith 1 to 5 heads of deep-blue flowers on long peduncles. 

 Bracts of the involucre lanceolate, in 2 or 3 rows, the outer ones about 

 as long as the flowers, the inner ones passing gradually into the pointed 

 scales of the receptacle. Florets all nearly alike, 4-lobed, and but 



