Acanthus dioscoridis

Lokman Ayıpençesi

Erect herb, 15-40 cm, pubescent, puberulous or glabrous. Basal leaves with winged petiole; lamina 6-25 x 1-7 cm, subentire to laciniate or deeply pinnatifid; lobes mucronulate, spinescent, entire or dentate. Bracts incised or dentate, ± spinescent. Bracteoles linear to linear-lanceolate, subulate. Corolla purple or rose-red; lobes pubescent or glandular-pubescent outside, glandular-pubescent inside; tube glabrous or pubescent outside, hirsute within. Style sparsely hairy at base. Ovary hairy at apex. Fl. 5-8. Rocky igneous slopes, cliffs, dry chalky loam, hills, steppe, fallow fields, etc., 1300-2200 m.

1. Lamina of basal leaves ± entire or rarely 2-3-lobed
    2. Plant more than 20 cm tall var. dioscoridis 
    2. Plant 10-15 cm tall var. brevicaulis 
1. Lamina of basal leaves laciniate or deeply pinnatifid
    3. Lamina laciniate to less than halfway var. laciniatus
    3. Lamina deeply pinnatifid into spiny-dentate lobes var. perringii 

    A remarkably variable species in height, length of spike, leaf shape, presence or absence of leaf spines, type of indumentum, and shape of bracts and bracteoles.