Devil’s-bit Scabious

Entire meadows may be coloured purple by swathes of Devil’s-bit Scabious in late summer. The flowers are generally darker than other scabious species, and form a rounded rather than flat-topped head. Each tubular floret of Devil’s-bit Scabious is the same in shape and size, without larger petals on the outside. When in bud, the flowerhead is like a collection of green or purple beads but later, when the flowers open and the stamens protrude, it comes to resemble a pincushion.