Devil's bit scabious
Succisa pratensis
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Fire effect on plant
Devil’s bit scabious can survive low-severity fires (Mallik and Gimingham 1983).
Key traits
Surface-level buds remain well protected from fire damage by a covering of old leaf bases, allowing resprouting after fire (Mallik and Gimingham 1983).
Fire effects on seed viability is unknown. There is no specialized seed dispersal mechanism and dispersal distances are short (Grime et al. 1988). Seed longevity is highly variable, although most observations suggest <5 years (Thompson et al. 1997).
Plant response to fire
Fire appears to have a stimulatory effect on devil’s bit scabious. High-temperature fires resulted in more regrowth and production of more apical meristems after fire (Mallik and Gimingham 1985), perhaps linked to a greater reproductive output (although not tested).
Timing of life history
A perennial. Seeds likely produced from second growing season. Flowering July to October.
Conservation status
None.
References
Grime, J.P., Hodgson, J.G. and Hunt, R. 1988. Comparative Plant Ecology: A functional approach to common British species. Unwin Hyman Ltd., London [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Mallik, A.U., Gimingham, C.H. 1983. Regeneration of heathland plants following burning. Vegetatio 53: 45-58. [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Mallik, A.U., Gimingham, C.H. 1985. Effects on Seed Germination and Vegetative Regeneration. Journal of Ecology 73: 633-644 [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Thompson, K, Bakker, J P, Bekker, R M. 1997. Soil seed banks of NW Europe: methodology, density and longevity. Cambridge University Press. 276 pp [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]