Settle Wildflowers - Day 75 - Blue 11 - Scabious

Don't you love the blue colour of Scabious?

We have three different Scabious plants around Settle - 

all three were all photographed in Langcliffe Parish.

Three different genera, all belonging to the Teasel family: Dipscaceae.

1. Devil's bit Scabious - Succisa pratensis
2. Small Scabious - Scabiosa columbaria

3. Field Scabious - Knautia arvensis 

I have got behind with reporting on all my trips the last two weeks and the flowers that are out -including  Giggleswick Railway Station, Path to Cocket Moss, (plus trips outside Settle to Hutton roof, Keasden) - maybe I can report on these in November ...

.. But these three beautiful flowers are all up to date so I want to write about them now, and I photographed two this evening (9th Sept) -

https://www.brc.ac.uk/plantatlas shows that Devil's-bit and Field Scabious have declined since the 1950s and the Small Scabious since the 1960s. the places where i found them were either nature reserves or on land with farmers / landowners were particularly sympathetic to nature conservation.

I highlight this point because today the WWF's 2020 Living Planet Report is released today which says "Our planet’s wildlife populations have now plummeted by 68% since 1970"

1. Devil's bit Scabious - Succisa pratensis
It has simple leaves. The leaf bases come together a bit like teasel - in teasel they join together at the base and form a cup 

Devil's-bit-Scabious - Penyghent in the background 6.30pm 9 Sept

Rather cold bee at 6.30pm on Devil's-bit Scabious
at Lower Winskill

Devil's-bit Scabious looking down onto Knight Stainforth
with Smearsett Scar and
Ingleborough in the background

This grows in "unimproved meadows" meadows, especially if slightly damp; and at the edges of fens, in wet heath.  97 percent of our UK meadows have been "improved" by adding lots of fertiliser or by reseeding, so the chance of finding it is pretty low. 

The Plantlife webpage says: "According to one legend the name is derived from the plants' short, stubby roots - the Devil grew angry about the plants medicinal properties and so bit the roots off.

This is a painting by Doris Cairns of the
Devils-Bit Scabious and Knapweed
at Lower Winskill Farm

2. Small Scabious - Scabiosa columbaria

This grows on limestone cliffs and in short limestone grassland. It has been in flower since July. I took these photographs on 31 August - Bank Holiday Monday. The basal leaves are simple leaves. the ones on the stem are very divided with very narrow lobes.

In this picture you can see that the flower at the front has five petals - a five lobed corolla. Scabiosa has 5 lobes; Succisa and Knautia have four lobed corollas.

3. Field Scabious - Knautia arvensis

Of the three scabiouses this is the least common around Settle. This one was taken near the Settle Carlisle Railway on the track from the Hoffman Kiln to Langcliffe - There is some on the side of the railway.

Field Scabious has lobed leaves.

Here is another picture of the same pants taken this evening 9 September.

Click here for  more flowers coming out around Settle 





















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