Scabiosa incisa flowerhead

Scabiosa incisa is a sprawling perennial herb of the Western and Eastern Cape sandy and limestone coastal region. It has short, deeply lobed or comb-like hairy leaves.

The mauve or white flowers occur on long, slender stalks during spring. They form dense, flat-topped disc-like clusters of small funnel-shaped flowers opening widely at the top. The flowers around the edges of the flowerhead grow a bit bigger than those near the centre.

There are two rows of involucral bracts at the base of the flowerhead (Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).