Scabiosa atropurpurea L., Dipsacaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Other Latin names:  Scabiosa maritima L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: annual scabious, morningbride, mournful-widow, mourningbride, pincushions, sweet scabious

French: scabieusa maritime

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual or short-lived perennial herb, up to 60-(125) cm tall. Stems branched, glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy. Lower leaves forming a loose rosette, obovate or spathulate, coarsely crenate, acute to obtuse, cuneately narrowed to long petiole, glabrescent to sparsely or moderately hairy, 6-9-(11) x 1-3-(4) cm. Cauline leaves lyrate-pinnatifid; uppermost leaves 1-2-pinnatisect with linear segments, glabrescent. Heads long-pedunculate, radiate, (15)-20-30-(50) mm in diameter. Involucral bracts 8-14, lanceolate, < or = flowers. Flowers white, pink to deep crimson or mauve to deep purple. Fruit with 8 grooves in involucel-tube; corona 2.5-3 mm long, ± = tube, with 8 ribs of tube extended into lower part, the upper membranous part only c. 0.5 mm long and with c. 20-24 indistinct veins; calyx setae 5-7 mm long, giving a spinous appearance to the globose-cylindric heads"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 600).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, "roadsides, waste places, coastal areas"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 600).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Canary and Madeira Islands, Europe, Turkey (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 557)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) "Cultivated as an ornamental, sometimes naturalized".
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 600)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Scabiosa atropurpurea, please let us know.