Synonyms

Armeriastrum tenuifolium Kuntze, Statice hohenackeri Jaub. & Spach

Local Names

Azerbaijan: Hоhеnакеr tıs-tısı; English: Hohenacker’s prickly-thrift

Botany and Ecology

Rather compactly pulvinate subhemishperical shrub, up to 20–30 cm in diameter. The summer leaves are glaucous-green or pale glaucous, applanate-triquetrous, linear subulate, rigid, 1.5–2 cm long and ca. 5–1 mm broad, acerose, glabrous, the margin ciliate-scabrous. The spring leaves are slightly shorter and broader, otherwise alike. 1–3 rather short branches at the top. Distinctly 2-ranked, 5–10 spiculed, the joints about equaling the bracts. All single flowered. The bracts are glabrous. The outer bract is 4–5 mm long, about two-thirds the length of the inner ones, oblong-ovate, gradually acuminate, mucronate, rather narrowly margined. The inner bracts about equal the calyx tube. The calyx ca. 10–12 mm long, the tube ca. 6–7 mm long, rather densely covered between the nerves (and toward the apex of the nerves) with long hairs. The calyx limb ca. 4 mm broad, white rather distinctly 10-lobed, the nerves hairy in lower parts, reaching the margins or scarcely excurrent. The plant can be found in the stony mountain slopes, at altitudes of 1200–2400 m. The Caucasus: Eastern and Southern Transcaucasia (S. part), Talysh (Figs. 1 and 2).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Acantholimon hochenackeri (Plumbaginaceae). Habit. Azerbaijan (Photo: N. Mehdiyeva)

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Fig. 2
figure 2

Acantholimon hochenackeri (Plumbaginaceae). Detail flowers. Azerbaijan (Photo: N. Mehdiyeva)

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Azerbaijan: Distributed in regions of southern Azerbaijan, mountainous part of Nakhchivan and Diabar. Grows in moderate continental climate in mountain-meadow turf and mountain-meadow steppe in the composition of mountain xerophytic and mountain-meadow vegetation, in an average and upper mountain belt in a height of 800–2300 m above sea level. Flowering and fruiting from May to August. Described from Diabar (Flora of Azerbaijan 1950–1961).

Local Medicinal Uses

Azerbaijan: A decoction of flowers is used for diarrhea. A decoction of flowers is used for the normalization of blood pressure and in cases of allergy.

Local Handicraft and Other Uses

Azerbaijan: Forms beautiful cushions during flowering can be used in ornamental gardening and park construction.