Taxonomy

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Clade: Tracheophytes
• Clade: Angiosperms
• Clade: Eudicots
• Clade: Superasterids
• Clade: Asterids
• Clade: Campanulids
• Order: Dipsacales
• Family: Caprifoliaceae
• Subfamily: Dipsacoideae
• Genus: Scabiosa
• Species: Scabiosa columbaria

Presence

Present.

Conservation status

• Red List (Metropolitan France): LC Least Concern

Notes

Possible confusion with S. atropurpurea L., 1753, which has flower heads that elongate during fructification, while S. columbaria has flower heads that remain flat during fructification.

Possible confusion with S. triandra L., 1753, which has shorter calyx teeth (≤ 2.5 mm), while S. columbaria has longer calyx teeth (≥ 2.5 mm).

Stabilized hybrid of S. lucida Vill., 1779 × S. triandra L., 1753 (von Hagen et al., 2008).

The following infraspecific taxa are accepted:

• S. columbaria subsp. banatica (Waldst. & Kit.) Diklić, 1973;
• S. columbaria subsp. caespitosa Jamzad, 1989;
• S. columbaria subsp. columbaria L., 1753, P;
• S. columbaria subsp. pratensis (St.-Lag.) Braun-Blanq., 1933;
• S. columbaria subsp. pseudobanatica (Schur) Jáv. & Csapody, 1933;
• S. columbaria subsp. saetabensis J.E.Oltra & M.B.Crespo, 2022;
• S. columbaria subsp. uniseta (Savi) Zangh., 1976.

Photographs

Sources

• von Hagen, K.B., Seidler, G., & Welk, E. (2008). New evidence for a postglacial homoploid hybrid origin of the widespread Central European Scabiosa columbaria L. s. str. (Dipsacaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution, 274, 179-191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-008-0046-7

• Tison, J.M., & de Foucault, B. (2014). Flora Gallica : Flore de France (p. 621). Biotope.