Scabiosa columbaria L.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Gatsi CL, Honde Valley

Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba rd near Vumba Gateway

Photo: Bart Wursten
Cleveland Dam, Harare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road from Mt Selinda to Espungabera border post

Photo: Bart Wursten
Grassland plateau above Morumbodzi Falls, lower Slopes Mt Gorongosa.

Photo: Petra Ballings
Northern road before turn-off to Nganda Hill, Nyika National Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
Northern road before turn-off to Nganda Hill, Nyika National Park

Photo: Tony Benn
Sedibeng Village

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Scabiosa austro-africana Heine
Common names:	African white scabious (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb. Leaves deeply and irregularly lobed and concentrated around the lower part of the plant. The long slender stems have a terminal head of small flowers, surrounded by bristly bracts. The flowers are mostly pure white but occasional pink or lilac forms occur.
Type location:	Europe
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	columbaria: dove-like or dove-coloured.
Habitat:	In open woodland, grassland and mountain slopes.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:	Sep - Jan
Worldwide distribution:	From South Africa to Ethiopia, Near-East, North Africa and Europe.
Provinces:
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Pages 199 - 200. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 138. (Includes a picture). Cannon, M.J. & J.F.M. (1983). Dipsacaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(1) Pages 81 - 84. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 49. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 31. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 52. Fabian, A. & Germishuizen, G. (1997). Wild Flowers of Northern South Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeburg. Pages 410 - 411. (Includes a picture). Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22 SANBI, Pretoria Page 67. Goodier, R. & Phipps, J.B. (1961). A revised checklist of the vascular plants of the Chimanimani Mountains Kirkia 1 Page 64. Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa Page 77. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 39. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 80. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 45. Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 135, plate 176 Pooley, E. (1998). A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Natal Flora Publications Trust. Durban. Pages 438 - 439. (Includes a picture). Reekmans, M. (1985). Dipsacaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume III Page 514. as Scabiosa austroafricana Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 54. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 79. Van Wyk, B. & Malan, S. (1988). Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Witwatersrand and Pretoria Region Struik, Cape Town Pages 56 - 57. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 91.

Other sources of information about Scabiosa columbaria:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Burundi: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of the DRC: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Kenya: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Malawi: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Mozambique: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Rwanda: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Tanzania: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Uganda: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Zambia: Scabiosa columbaria
Flora of Zimbabwe: Scabiosa columbaria

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Scabiosa columbaria
African Plant Database: Scabiosa columbaria
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Scabiosa columbaria
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Scabiosa columbaria
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Scabiosa columbaria
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Scabiosa columbaria
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Scabiosa columbaria
JSTOR Plant Science: Scabiosa columbaria
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Scabiosa columbaria
Plants of the World Online: Scabiosa columbaria
Tropicos: Scabiosa columbaria
Wikipedia: Scabiosa columbaria