General:
Perennial herb from a taproot and sometimes elongate stem-base; stems erect, more or less stiff-hairy, 0.3-1.0 m tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves coarsely toothed; stem leaves oblanceolate, opposite, deeply pinnatifid, with narrow lateral and broader terminal segments, 10-25 cm long, reduced upwards.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of dense, hemispheric heads terminating long naked stalks, 1.5-4 cm wide; corollas lilac or purple, funnel-shaped, 9-12 mm long, 4-lobed, outermost ones largest, glabrous; calyces cuplike, 3-4 mm long, usually with 8 bristlelike teeth; involucral bracts equal, 8-12 mm long; receptacles not scaly, merely hairy.

Fruits:
Achenes, 5-6 mm long, 4-angled, densely hairy.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Scabiosa arvensis L.