Succisa pratensis, also known as devil's-bit or devil's-bit scabious, is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has four-lobed flowers, whereas small scabious and field scabious have five lobes and hence it has been placed in a separate genus in the same family.[2] It also grows on damper ground.[3]
Species of scabious were used to treat scabies, and other afflictions of the skin including sores caused by the bubonic plague.[4] The word scabies comes from the Latin word for "scratch" (scabere). In folk tales, the short black root was bitten off by the devil, for various reasons: anger at the plant's ability to cure these ailments,[5] anger against the Virgin Mary,[6] or as part of some 'devilish plot'.[7] The Latin specific epithetpratensis literally means "of the meadow".[8]
Descriptionedit
Succisa pratensis is a herbaceousperennial up to 1m tall, growing from a basal rosette of simple or distantly-toothed, lanceolate leaves. Its unlobed leaves distinguish it from Knautia arvensis (field scabious).[9] The plant may be distinguished from Centaurea scabiosa (greater knapweed) by having its leaves in opposite pairs, not alternate as in knapweed. The bluish to violet (occasionally pink) flowers are borne in tight compound flower heads or capitula. Individual flowers are tetramerous, with a four-lobed epicalyx and calyx and a four-lobed corolla.[10] Male and female flowers are produced on different flower heads (gynodioecious), the female flower heads being smaller.[11] The flowering period in the British Isles is from June until October.[12]: 312
Distributionedit
Succisa pratensis is common throughout most of the British Isles,[10] western and central Europe, extending eastwards into central Asia. It is absent from eastern Asia.[13] It has been introduced to eastern North America.[14]
Ecologyedit
It grows in wet or dry grassland and heath on acid or basic soils[10] and is found in hedgerows, marshes, meadows and pastures.[15]
Succisa pratensis is a good source of nectar
The flowers are visited by various types of insects, but especially frequently by hoverflies of the genus Eristalis.[16] It is a good source of nectar and is the larval food plant of the marsh fritillary,[17] the eggs of which are laid in groups on the underside of the plant, and the narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth (Hemaris tityus). As both invertebrates are rare,[18][19] their survival relies on careful management of sites containing these plant and butterfly species.
The aim is to produce an uneven patchwork of short and long vegetation by the end of the grazing period, between 8 and 25 cm (3.1 and 9.8 in). This is to allow the devil's bit scabious food plant to grow.
This can be achieved through low intensity grazing (also known as extensive grazing) using cattle. Sheep are not so good as they are more efficient at removing wild plants.
^Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland by Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter, Alastair Fitter
^Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN978-1845337315.
^Usborne Spotter's Handbook of Birds, Trees, Wildflowers
^ abcStace, C. A. (2010). New Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. p. 796. ISBN9780521707725.
^A photographic guide to Wildflowers of Britain and Europe by Paul Sterry and Bob Press
^Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G.; Warburg, E.F. (1981). Excursion Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN0521232902.
^Anderberg, Arne. "Succisa pratensis Moench Sw". Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, Stockholm.
^USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Succisa pratensis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
^Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. ISBN9780521046565
^Van Der Kooi, C. J.; Pen, I.; Staal, M.; Stavenga, D. G.; Elzenga, J. T. M. (2015). "Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers". Plant Biology. 18 (1): 56–62. doi:10.1111/plb.12328. PMID 25754608.
^Howarth, T.G.1973. South's British Butterflies. p129. Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd. ISBN0-7232-1499-9
^Searle, Mark. "Marsh Fritillary". butterfly-conservation.org. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
^Gor, Adam. "Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth". Butterfly Conservation. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
^Karling, J.S. 1964. Synchytrium.Academic Press: New York.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Succisa pratensis.
Data related to Succisa pratensis at Wikispecies
The Plant Press Natural England Website
April 12, 2024
succisa, pratensis, also, known, devil, devil, scabious, flowering, plant, honeysuckle, family, caprifoliaceae, differs, from, other, similar, species, that, four, lobed, flowers, whereas, small, scabious, field, scabious, have, five, lobes, hence, been, place. Succisa pratensis also known as devil s bit or devil s bit scabious is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae It differs from other similar species in that it has four lobed flowers whereas small scabious and field scabious have five lobes and hence it has been placed in a separate genus in the same family 2 It also grows on damper ground 3 Succisa pratensisScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder DipsacalesFamily CaprifoliaceaeGenus SuccisaSpecies S pratensisBinomial nameSuccisa pratensisMoenchSynonyms 1 List Asterocephalus succisa L Wallr Asterocephalus tomentosus Spreng Lepicephalus succisa L Eichw Scabiosa borealis Salisb Scabiosa glabrata Schott Scabiosa glabrata Hegetschw Scabiosa hirsuta Mazziari Scabiosa praemorsa Gilib Scabiosa prolifera Mazziari Scabiosa succisa L Scabiosa succisa var arenaria Rouy Scabiosa succisa var grandifolia Rouy Scabiosa succisa var ovalis Rouy Succisa altissima Schur Succisa angustula Jord amp Fourr Succisa aurigerana Jord amp Fourr Succisa beugesiaca Jord amp Fourr Succisa brevis Jord amp Fourr Succisa cagiriensis Jeanb amp Timb Lagr Succisa cuspidata Jord Succisa dentata Jord amp Fourr Succisa elliptica Jeanb amp Timb Lagr Succisa fuchsii Gray Succisa fuscescens Jord amp Fourr Succisa gigantea Jeanb amp Timb Lagr Succisa glabrata Jord amp Fourr Succisa glabrata Schott Sweet Succisa gracilescens Jord amp Fourr Succisa incisa Jord amp Fourr Succisa laetevirens Jord amp Fourr Succisa microcephala Jord amp Fourr Succisa palustris Sass Succisa parvula Jord amp Fourr Succisa platyphylla Jord amp Fourr Succisa praemorsa Asch Succisa pratensis var arenaria Rouy P D Sell Succisa pratensis var grandifolia Rouy P D Sell Succisa pratensis subsp hirsuta Opiz Chrtek Succisa pratensis var ovalis Rouy P D Sell Succisa pratensis subsp scotiaca Baksay Chrtek Succisa pratensis var subacaulis Bernardin P D Sell Succisa prativaga Jord amp Fourr Succisa procera Jord amp Fourr Succisa propera Jord amp Fourr Succisa pyrenaica Jord amp Fourr Succisa rhodanensis Jord amp Fourr Succisa sabauda Jord amp Fourr Succisa stricta Jord amp Fourr Succisa subacaulis Bernardin Succisa sylvatica Jord amp Fourr Succisa tardans Jord amp Fourr Succisa viretorum Jord amp Fourr Succisa vogesiaca Jord amp Fourr Succisa vulgaris J Presl amp C Presl Contents 1 Name 2 Description 3 Distribution 4 Ecology 5 Management 6 Gallery 7 References 8 External linksName editSpecies of scabious were used to treat scabies and other afflictions of the skin including sores caused by the bubonic plague 4 The word scabies comes from the Latin word for scratch scabere In folk tales the short black root was bitten off by the devil for various reasons anger at the plant s ability to cure these ailments 5 anger against the Virgin Mary 6 or as part of some devilish plot 7 The Latin specific epithet pratensis literally means of the meadow 8 Description editSuccisa pratensis is a herbaceous perennial up to 1m tall growing from a basal rosette of simple or distantly toothed lanceolate leaves Its unlobed leaves distinguish it from Knautia arvensis field scabious 9 The plant may be distinguished from Centaurea scabiosa greater knapweed by having its leaves in opposite pairs not alternate as in knapweed The bluish to violet occasionally pink flowers are borne in tight compound flower heads or capitula Individual flowers are tetramerous with a four lobed epicalyx and calyx and a four lobed corolla 10 Male and female flowers are produced on different flower heads gynodioecious the female flower heads being smaller 11 The flowering period in the British Isles is from June until October 12 312 Distribution editSuccisa pratensis is common throughout most of the British Isles 10 western and central Europe extending eastwards into central Asia It is absent from eastern Asia 13 It has been introduced to eastern North America 14 Ecology editIt grows in wet or dry grassland and heath on acid or basic soils 10 and is found in hedgerows marshes meadows and pastures 15 source source source source Succisa pratensis is a good source of nectarThe flowers are visited by various types of insects but especially frequently by hoverflies of the genus Eristalis 16 It is a good source of nectar and is the larval food plant of the marsh fritillary 17 the eggs of which are laid in groups on the underside of the plant and the narrow bordered bee hawk moth Hemaris tityus As both invertebrates are rare 18 19 their survival relies on careful management of sites containing these plant and butterfly species It is parasitized by the chytrid fungus Synchytrium succisae 20 Management editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Succisa pratensis news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message The aim is to produce an uneven patchwork of short and long vegetation by the end of the grazing period between 8 and 25 cm 3 1 and 9 8 in This is to allow the devil s bit scabious food plant to grow This can be achieved through low intensity grazing also known as extensive grazing using cattle Sheep are not so good as they are more efficient at removing wild plants Gallery edit nbsp Bloom nbsp Succisa pratensis on the German island Hiddensee nbsp White flowered form with the honey bee nbsp Foliage in situ showing leaf arrangement nbsp Closeup nbsp Underside nbsp Flower budReferences edit Succisa pratensis Moench Plants of the World Online Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 2017 Retrieved 23 September 2020 Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland by Rae Spencer Jones and Sarah Cuttle The Illustrated Wild Flower Finder s Calendar Kingfisher Field Guides Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe The I Spy Guide to Wild Flowers by Michelin Wild Flowers of Britain by Roger Phillips Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland by Marjorie Blamey Richard Fitter Alastair Fitter Harrison Lorraine 2012 RHS Latin for Gardeners United Kingdom Mitchell Beazley ISBN 978 1845337315 Usborne Spotter s Handbook of Birds Trees Wildflowers a b c Stace C A 2010 New Flora of the British Isles Third ed Cambridge U K Cambridge University Press p 796 ISBN 9780521707725 A photographic guide to Wildflowers of Britain and Europe by Paul Sterry and Bob Press Clapham A R Tutin T G Warburg E F 1981 Excursion Flora of the British Isles Third ed Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521232902 Anderberg Arne Succisa pratensis Moench Sw Naturhistoriska riksmuseet Stockholm USDA NRCS n d Succisa pratensis The PLANTS Database plants usda gov Greensboro North Carolina National Plant Data Team Retrieved 4 December 2015 Clapham A R Tutin T G and Warburg E F 1968 Excursion Flora of the British Isles Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521046565 Van Der Kooi C J Pen I Staal M Stavenga D G Elzenga J T M 2015 Competition for pollinators and intra communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers Plant Biology 18 1 56 62 doi 10 1111 plb 12328 PMID 25754608 Howarth T G 1973 South s British Butterflies p129 Frederick Warne amp Co Ltd ISBN 0 7232 1499 9 Searle Mark Marsh Fritillary butterfly conservation org Retrieved 9 September 2018 Gor Adam Narrow bordered Bee Hawk moth Butterfly Conservation Retrieved 9 September 2018 Karling J S 1964 Synchytrium Academic Press New York External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Succisa pratensis nbsp Data related to Succisa pratensis at Wikispecies The Plant Press Natural England Website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Succisa pratensis amp oldid 1193792860, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
