Delineating Features between Small and Field Scabious : The green sepal-like bracts immediately behind the flower head are in two rows (or so one book says, but if you look-see yourself, you will see that there are not two rows, but at least 4!! - so whoever is right, if anyone is wrong, is yet to be seen), the two sets of rows being of un-equal size. From above the flower, the bracts appear alternate in size. Also, whereas in Small Scabious, the number of petals in an individual floret is five, the number of petals in Field Scabious is only four

Field Scabious is also the taller of the two. The stem is also hairier than Small Scabious.

Distinguishing Feature: Both Field Scabious and Small Scabious have a single flower head on the end of a long stalk which is lilac/steel blue in colour, with the individual florets clustered together in a compact head, but where the outer petals are much larger than the in-ward facing petals.