scabious

scabious
scabious1
/skay"bee euhs/, adj.
1. covered with or consisting of scabs; scabby.
2. pertaining to or of the nature of scabies.
[1595-1605; SCABI(ES) + -OUS]
scabious2
/skay"bee euhs/, n.
1. Also called pincushion flower. any of various plants belonging to the genus Scabiosa, of the teasel family, having opposite leaves and often showy flower heads in a variety of colors.
2. any of various similar or related plants.
[1350-1400; ME scabiose < ML scabiosa (herba) scabies-curing (herb); see SCABIES, -OUS]

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Any of about 100 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants that make up the genus Scabiosa (family Dipsaceae), native to temperate Eurasia, the Mediterranean, and mountains of eastern Africa.

Some are important garden plants, including the southern European annual pincushion flower (S. atropurpurea), also called sweet scabious, mourning bride, or garden scabious. All species have leaf rosettes at the base of the plant, and leafy stems. Flower heads have an outer ring of female flowers and a circle of leaflike bracts below. Devil's bit scabious belongs to the genus Succisa (see bluebonnet).

Perennial scabious (Scabiosa caucasica)

Valerie Finnis

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▪ plant
also called  Scabiosa  
 (genus Scabiosa), any of about 100 species of annual and perennial herbs of the teasel family, Dipsacaceae, order Dipsacales. They are native to temperate Eurasia, the Mediterranean region, and the mountains of eastern Africa. Some are important garden plants. All species have basal leaf rosettes and leafy stems. The flower heads have many crowded, small, five-lobed, mostly bisexual blooms. There are larger female flowers in the outer ring, and a circle of leaflike bracts occurs below each flower head.

      Pincushion flower, sweet scabious, mourning bride, or garden scabious (S. atropurpurea), a southern European annual with deeply cut basal leaves and feathery stem leaves, produces fragrant, 5-centimetre (2-inch) flower heads in white, rose, crimson, blue, or deep mahogany purple. It is about 1 m (3 feet) tall. Small scabious (S. columbaria), from Eurasia and Africa, reaches 60 cm. It is a perennial, with toothed, elongate, oval basal leaves and cut stem leaves. The light-blue flowers are 3.5 cm across. Perennial scabious (S. caucasica), of southeastern Europe, grows to 75 cm. It has narrow, smooth-margined basal leaves and cut stem leaves and produces light blue flowers up to 8 cm across. Devil's bit scabious belongs to the genus Succisa of the teasel family. See also Dipsacales.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Scabious — Sca bi*ous, n. [Cf. F. scabieuse. See {Scabious}, a.] (Bot.) Any plant of the genus {Scabiosa}, several of the species of which are common in Europe. They resemble the {Composit[ae]}, and have similar heads of flowers, but the anthers are not… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Scabious — Sca bi*ous, a. [L. scabiosus, from scabies the scab: cf. F. scabieux.] Consisting of scabs; rough; itchy; leprous; as, scabious eruptions. Arbuthnot. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • scabious — ► NOUN ▪ a plant with blue, pink, or white pincushion shaped flowers. ORIGIN from Latin scabiosa herba rough, scabby plant ; it was formerly regarded as a cure for skin disease …   English terms dictionary

  • scabious — scabious1 [skā′bē əs] adj. [< Fr or L: Fr scabieux < L scabiosus < scabies: see SCAB] 1. covered with scabs; scabby 2. of or like scabies scabious2 [skā′bē əs] n. SCABIOSA …   English World dictionary

  • scabious — balandinė žvaigždūnė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Karšulinių šeimos dekoratyvinis, medingas augalas (Scabiosa columbaria), paplitęs Europoje, vakarų Azijoje ir šiaurės Afrikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Scabiosa columbaria angl. pigeon s… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • scabious — I. noun Etymology: Middle English scabiose, from Anglo French, from Medieval Latin scabiosa, from Latin, feminine of scabiosus, adjective Date: 14th century any of a genus (Scabiosa) of Old World herbs of the teasel family with terminal flower… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • scabious — sca·bi·ous skā bē əs adj 1) relating to or characterized by scabs 2) of, relating to, or resembling scabies <scabious eruptions> …   Medical dictionary

  • scabious — sca|bi|ous1 [ skeıbiəs ] noun count or uncount a plant with round blue, pink, or white flowers scabious sca|bi|ous 2 [ skeıbiəs ] adjective FORMAL affected with scabies …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • scabious — [ skeɪbɪəs] noun a plant of the teasel family, with blue, pink, or white pincushion shaped flowers. [Scabiosa, Knautia, and other genera: several species, including the devil s bit scabious.] adjective affected with mange; scabby. Origin ME:… …   English new terms dictionary

  • scabious — žvaigždūnė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Karšulinių (Dipsacaceae) šeimos augalų gentis (Scabiosa). atitikmenys: lot. Scabiosa angl. mourning bride; scabiosa; scabious vok. Grindkraut; Skabiose rus. вдовушки; скабиоза lenk. driakiew;… …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

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