Additional notes (click to expand)

Medicinal

Culpeper: under ‘Herbs’ he writes: ‘Succisa, Morsus diobolo, Devil’s Bit. Inwardly taken it easeth the fits of the mother, and breaks wind, taketh away the swellings in the mouth, and slimy phlegm that sticks to the jaws, neither is there a more present remedy in the world, for those cold swellings of the neck, which the vulgar call the Almonds of the neck than this herb bruised and applied to them.
Culpeper, Nicholas. (1650). A Physical Directory . London, Peter Cole.

Nomenclature

Succisa, Morsus diobolo, Devil’s Bit; Blue Buttons
Oakeley, Dr. H. F. . (2013). The Gardens of the Pharmacopoeia Londinensis. link

Family changed from Dipsacaceae to Caprifoliaceae.
Plants of the World online, Kew Science http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:320331-1 link

Succisa chosen as the PL name. 03/03/2021 AT

Other use

Succisia pratensis Greene Asteraceae. Devil’s Bit Scabious, Blue Buttons. Distribution: Europe, W Asia, Africa. Culpeper (1650), under ‘Herbs’ he writes: ‘Succisa, Morsus diobolo, Devil’s Bit. Inwardly taken it easeth the fits of the mother [probably uterine spasm or pain], and breaks wind, taketh away the swellings in the mouth, and slimy phlegm that sticks to the jaws, neither is there a more present remedy in the world, for those cold swellings of the neck, which the vulgar call the Almonds [lymph nodes] of the neck than this herb bruised and applied to them. Folk lore attribute it as a cure-all which was so sucessful that the Devil bit off the bottom of the roots when he saw it growing down into Hades. However, the roots show no sign of such damage to support the myth.
Oakeley, Dr. Henry F. (2013). Wellcome Library notes. link

Geographical distribution

  • Africa, Northern Africa, Algeria
  • Africa, Northern Africa, Tunisia
  • Asia-Temperate, Caucasus
  • Asia-Temperate, Russian Far East
  • Asia-Temperate, Siberia
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Turkey
  • Europe, Eastern Europe
  • Europe, Middle Europe
  • Europe, Northern Europe
  • Europe, Northern Europe, Great Britain
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe

Succisa pratensis Moench

Family: CAPRIFOLIACEAE
Genus: Succisa
Species: pratensis Moench
Common names: Devil's Bit Scabious
Pharmacopoeia Londinensis name: Succisa or Morsus Diaboli
Distribution summary: Europe ,W. Africa, Asia
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: H5 - Hardy; cold winter
Garden status: Currently grown
Garden location: Pharmacopoeia Londinensis 1618 'Leaves' (HSE 6)
Reason for growing: Medicinal


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