Sweet scabious
Sixalix atropurpurea
Its common name 'Scabious' comes from the traditional belief that the plant could cure scabies and other skin ailments.
- Scientific name
- Sixalix atropurpurea
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Dipsacales › Caprifoliaceae › Sixalix
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry meadows, coastal grasslands, road verges, and calcareous soils.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- Range
- Mediterranean Basin, Southern Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
- Size
- 30-90 cm in height
- Lifespan
- 1-2 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss through intensive agriculture and urban development.
- Safe to approach?
- Entirely harmless and safe to approach. Observe the many pollinators it attracts from a short distance to avoid disturbing their feeding. Do not forage in protected wild areas.
Scabiosa atropurpurea (syn. Sixalix atropurpurea ), the mourningbride , mournful widow , pincushion flower , or sweet scabious , is an ornamental plant of the genus Scabiosa in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is native to southern Europe.
Photo: Connor Margetts, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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