Scabiosa atropurpurea L.

Annual or short-lived perennial herb, up to 60–(125) cm tall. Stems branched, glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy. Lower lvs 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) × 1–3–(4) cm. Cauline lvs lyrate-pinnatifid; uppermost lvs 1–2-pinnatisect with linear segments, glabrescent. Heads long-pedunculate, radiate, (15)–20–30–(50) mm diam. Involucral bracts 8–14, lanceolate, < or = fls. Fls white, pink to deep crimson or mauve to deep purple. Fr. 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.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]