By Thomas Bruges Flowery Esq. 



267 



Scabiosa, (Linn.) Scabious. 

 Linn. CI. iv. Ord. i. 

 I Named from scabies, the leprosy ; an infusion or decoction of 

 some of the species, having formerly been employed in curing 

 cutaneous diseases. 



1. S. succisa, (Linn.) Devil's-bit Scabious. Succisus (Lat.) means 

 cut or lopped off, and is applied to this species in allusion to the 

 root, which has a broken appearance, hence also the vulgar English 

 name Devil's-bit. Engl. Bot. t. 878. 



Locality. In rather moist meadows, pastures, heathy places, 

 and open grassy woods on the Downs. P. Fl. July, October. 

 Area, 1. 2. 3. 4, 5. Generally distributed throughout Wilts. The 

 root is a good illustration of what in botanical language is termed 

 Radix prcemorsa, a premorse or abrupt root ; this however is only 

 the case when the plant is above a year old, for during the first 

 year it is fusiform, after that it becomes woody, dies, and rots, the 

 upper part excepted, and this causes the eroded or bitten-off ap- 

 pearance, while the new lateral branches shooting out from the 

 part left, compensate the want of the old main root. This appear- 

 ance of an abrupt or stumped root is not peculiar to this plant, but 

 is observed in some species of Plantago, Apargia, and Valeriana, 



2. S. Columbaria, (Linn.) small Scabious. Columbaria is Latin 

 for a dove or pigeon-house, to which the allusion is not evident, 

 Engl. Bot. t. 1311. 



Locality, On dry calcareous, or gravelly banks and pastures, 

 also on the chalky downs in several places. P. Fl. July, August, 

 Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts. Leaves flowers smaller 

 and more delicate than in Knautia arvensis, from which this species 

 is elegantly and decisively distinguished by the 5 -cleft corolla, 

 which like that is radiant. 



The Capitulum of Scabiosa Columbaria, is not unfrequently met 

 with in a proliferous state, for an example of this interesting form, 

 I am much indebted to Mr. James Hussey, who observed it growing 

 on Whiteparish Hill (North-west District). 



VOL. IX. — NO. XXVII. 



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