The leaves of Scabiosa incisa vary in being more or less lobed into an almost fern-like appearance. The leaf rosettes multiply into dense clumps in this fast-growing perennial. The common names of scabious and jongmansknoop or bitterbos (both Afrikaans) are used for several species of South African Scabiosa flowers. South Africa has nine species of this genus that are indigenous.

The cut flowers are popular and the plant is grown widely in gardens. Several medicines are prepared in traditional healing from this plant, including some for dressing wounds and as a soothing dusting powder (Margaret Roberts, 1990 and www.plantzafrica.com).