Scabiosa atropurpurea L.

Spice Fruit

Family: DIPSACACEAE

Genus: Scabiosa

Sinònims: Scabiosa maritima L.

Catalan common name: Cardetes. Escabiosa. Viuda. Viuda borda.

Spanish common name: Escabiosa. Viuda.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte. Hemicryptophyte. Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Path and road sides. Cultivated fields.

Characteristics: An herbaceous plant that is well branched at the base, and where it can also be slightly lignified. Leaves very divided with irregular lobes, terminal segment is larger than the rest. Flowers are violet in colour, and are united in capitula, flowers at the periphery with larger petals. Flowers practically year-round and lives along the borders of roadsides, herb lands and disturbed areas.