''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of small

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s within the plumbago or leadwort family,

Plumbaginaceae Plumbaginaceae is a family of flowering plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The family is sometimes referred to as the leadwort family or the plumbago family. Most species in this family are perennial herbaceous plants, but a few grow ...

. They are distributed from southeastern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

to central

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and also in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, but also cultivated elsewhere in rock gardens.

Form

The evergreen

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

s are generally cushion to mat-forming, with densely tufted shoots bearing mostly awl (long, pointed spike) to needle or grass-like, prickle to spine-tipped hard-textured leaves. They have shortish, simple or branched flower stems which can be loose or dense. The summer-borne flowers are composed of a funnel-shaped calyx, usually with a flared membranous margin, and five spreading petals.

Species

There are over 400 species. Selected species of ''Acantholimon'' include: *'' Acantholimon acerosum'' *'' Acantholimon albertii'' *'' Acantholimon anatolicum'' *'' Acantholimon armenum'' *''

Acantholimon artosense ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere ...

'' *'' Acantholimon avenaceum'' *'' Acantholimon bashkaleicum'' *'' Acantholimon birandii'' *''

Acantholimon calvertii ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere ...

'' *''

Acantholimon capitatum ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere ...

'' *''

Acantholimon davisii ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewh ...

'' *''

Acantholimon doganii ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere ...

'' *''

Acantholimon gabrieljaniae ''Acantholimon gabrieljaniae'', or Gabrielyan's prickly thrift, is a species of leadwort that is endemic to Armenia. It is found only in the Sevan floristic region, and is only known from its type specimen In biology, a type is a particula ...

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Acantholimon gillii ''Acantholimon gillii'' is a species of plant described by Karl Heinz Rechinger and Mogens Engell Köie. ''Acantholimon gillii'' is part of the genus '' Acantholimon'' and the family Plumbaginaceae Plumbaginaceae is a family of flowering ...

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Acantholimon glumaceum ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewh ...

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Acantholimon goeksunicum ''Acantholimon goeksunicum'' is a species of plant belonging to the family Plumbaginaceae. It is only found on calcareous steppes in southeastern Anatolia ( Turkey). This is a very small, low shrublet with scapes Parsons School of Design, k ...

'' *''

Acantholimon hoshapicum ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere ...

'' *''

Acantholimon ibrahimii ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere ...

'' *''

Acantholimon karamanicum ''Acantholimon karamanicum'' is a species of flowering plant. It grows on calcareous mountain slopes in Ermenek Ermenek is a town and district of Karaman Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. As ancient Germanicopolis (in Isauria; has ...

'' *'' Acantholimon koeycegizicum'' *''

Acantholimon kotschyi ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere ...

'' *''

Acantholimon libanoticum ''Acantholimon libanoticum'' (Lebanese prickly thrift, غملول لبناني) is a plant in the family Plumbaginaceae first described by Pierre Edmond Boissier. It is native to Western Asia from Turkey to Syria and Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar ...

'' *'' Acantholimon riyatguelii'' *'' Acantholimon schemachense'' *'' Acantholimon turcicum'' *''

Acantholimon ulicinum ''Acantholimon ulicinum'' (ulicinum: yoo-lih-SEE-num), also known as the prickly thief, is a species of broadleaf evergreen plants in the family Plumbaginaceae. ''Acantholimon ulicinum'' is around tall and has a spread of . The species is endem ...

'' *'' Acantholimon vedicum'' *'' Acantholimon venustum'' *'' Acantholimon yildizelicum''

References

Caryophyllales genera Taxa named by Pierre Edmond Boissier {{Caryophyllales-stub