Pterocephalus plumosus, Pterocephalus papposus,
Knautia plumosa, Scabiosa papposa,
Hebrew: נוציץ מנוצה, Arabic: عقس ريشي

Scientific name:  Pterocephalus plumosus (L.) Coult.
Synonym name:  Pterocephalus papposus (L.) Coult., Knautia plumosa L., Scabiosa papposa L.
Hebrew name:  נוציץ מנוצה
Arabic name:   عقس ريشي
Plant Family:  Dipsacaceae, שלמוניים

Israel, Flowers, Palestine, Nature
Location: Sea of Galilee, Mount of Beatitudes

Life form:  Annual
Leaves:  Opposite, dissected, pinnate, dentate or serrate
Flowers:  Hermaphrodite, white, pink
Flowering Period:  March, April, May, June
Habitat:  Batha, Phrygana
Distribution:  Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:  Med - Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:  Ephemeral

Pterocephalus plumosus, Pterocephalus papposus, Knautia plumosa, Scabiosa papposa, נוציץ מנוצה
Location: Sea of Galilee, Mount of Beatitudes


Derivation of the botanical name:
Pterocephalus, greek pteron, πτερον, feather, wing; cephale, κεφαλη, head; winged head.
plumosus, feathery.
papposus, covered with pappus, downy.
Knautia, after Dr. Christopher Knaut (1638 - 1694), a German (Saxon) botanist.
Scabiosa, Latin scabies, "the itch," which the rough (scurfy) leaves might have been used to cure.
The Hebrew name: נוציץ, notsits, from נוצה, notsa (= feather); usually derived from נצה ' ( = to fly), and related to Akkadian nasu (= feather, plumage).
  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
  • The standard author abbreviation Coult. is used to indicate Thomas Coulter (1793 – 1843), an Irish physician, botanist, and explorer.

Pterocephalus plumosus, Pterocephalus papposus, Knautia plumosa, Scabiosa papposa, נוציץ מנוצה
Location: Sea of Galilee, Mount of Beatitudes