Anastatica hierochuntica Illustration Credit: Azmat

Annual, about 5 (-10) cm long in fruit, branched from the base with usually ascending branches, often rolled inwards under dry conditions, densely pubescent with stellate hairs. Leaves 10-20 mm long, 5-10 mm broad, spathulate, shallowly 3-5-lobed towards the apex or entire; stalk shorter than the blade. Flowers c. 2 mm across, white, axillary, subsessile. Sepals c. 1.5 mm long. Petals c. 2 mm long. Stamens c. 1.5:1.7 mm long. Siliculae ovoid-globse, c. 4 mm in diameter with about equally long stylar beak; lateral appendages c. 2 mm in diam. and somewhat cup-shaped; seed c. 1.5 mm long, ovoid.

Fl. Per.: March-April.

Type: From Red Sea area: “Hab. in littoribus maris rubri”.

Distribution: N. Africa, Egypt, Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan.