SHAHINA A. GHAZANFAR & YASIN J. NASIR
Acanthophyllum macrodon Edgew.
Caespitose tufted spiny perennial with a woody stock. Stems woody cm, pubescent, decumbent, branched, the lower portion covered with old leaves. Leaves 7-10 mm, subulate, acerose, densely white pubescent, grey-green in colour, sessile, apex spiny, flat above, slightly convex. Fascicles of young leaves sometimes present in the leaf axils. Flowers sessile, terminal, solitary. Bracts ovate, mucronate, with a hyaline margin, ciliate, adpressed to calyx. Calyx 11-12 mm, yellow cylindrical, minutely pubescent, teeth 5-6 mm, lanceolate, mucronate, stiff, recurved, with a narrow hyaline margin, nerves obscure. Petals rase - coloured, 20 mm, limb narrow oblong, exserted from the calyx, rounded at apex, entire Capsule and seeds not seen.
Fl. Per.: June-July.
Type: Hab. in montibus Belutschiae prope Quetta, Stocks (G, photo!).
Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan.
A beautiful spiny plant with reddish flowers, found in Quetta, Maslakh Ziarat and Waziristan (Blatter & Fernandez op. cit.) areas at c. 1520 m. In vegetative characters it resembles A. laxiflorum but can be distinguished by its solitary flowers.