Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 7, 2026

Acantholimon

Acantholimon 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 cultivated elsewhere in rock gardens.

Last revised
Jul 7, 2026
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≈ 1 min
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Wikipedia ↗
Acantholimon
Acantholimon glumaceum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Genus: Acantholimon
Boiss. (1846), nom. cons.
Species1

321; see text

Synonyms1
  • Armeriastrum Lindl. (1847)
  • Chaetolimon (Bunge) Lincz. (1938 publ. 1940)
  • Chomutowia B.Fedtsch. (1922)
  • Ghaznianthus Linchevskii (1979)
  • Gladiolimon Mobayen (1964)
  • Vassilczenkoa Lincz. (1979)

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,1 and also cultivated elsewhere in rock gardens.

Form

The evergreen subshrubs 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.2

Species

Acantholimon sp. source ↗

321 species are currently accepted.1 Selected species of Acantholimon include:

References

References

  1. Acantholimon Boiss. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  2. "Iris willmottiana". encyclopaedia.alpinegardensociety.net. 2001. Retrieved 2 June 2015.