Scabiosa speciosa Illustration Credit: M.Y. Saleem

Plants up to 60 cm tall, tomentose or pubescent. Leaves lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 3-7 cm long, 0.4-1.5 cm broad, some basally dissected into lanceolate segments. Flower heads radiant, 2-3 cm broad, terminal on up to 35 cm long peduncles. Involucral bracts lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.5-2.3 cm long, hairy. Receptacular bracts c. 6.5 mm long, ciliate. Ray flowers larger than the disc ones. Setae black, c. 5 mm long, corolla much exceeding their length. Corolla tube hairy. Involucel 5-7 mm long, 8-ribbed, the ribs alternating with 8 narrowly oblong pits; lower half setose. Corona cupular, membranous, venose.

Fl.Per.: July-August.

Type: Described from Kashmir, Royle..

Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Himalayas from Kashmir to Garhwal.

Common in alpine meadows from 2700-4300 m.