3. Andrachne aspera Sprang., Syst. Veg. ed. 16, 3: 884. 1826. Muell. Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 236. 1866; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 284 1887; Paz in Engl., Pflanzenreich 4. 147. 15: 177. 1922; Pojarkova in Not. Syst. Herb. Inst. Bot. Acad. Sci. URSS 20: 257. 1960; Rech. f. & Schiman-Czeika, Fl. Iranica 6: 4.1964; Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. 444. 1972; Radcliffe-Smith in Fl. Iraq 4(1): 315. 1980 & in Fl. Turk. 7:567. 1982.
A. RADCLIFFE-SMITH
Glandular-scabrous, glaucous, prostrate, procumbent or ascending perennial herb or subshrub with numerous stems arising from a woody stock. Petioles 2-7 mm long. Leaf-blades suborbicular-reniform, 3-10 (-12) x 4-13 (-17) mm, rounded to obtuse, entire, truncate to shallowly cordate at the base, lateral nerves not clearly visible. Stipules ovate-lanceolate to oblong, 1 mm long, entire, green with a narrow hyaline margin. Flowers solitary. Male flowers: pedicels 2 mm long; sepals resembing the stipules; petals elliptic, shorter than the sepals, whitish; disc-glands peltate, rugulose, scarcely bibbed; anthers 2-lobed, yellow. Female flowers: pedicels 3-5 mm king; sepals lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm long, green with a very narrow hyaline margin; petals minute, subulate; disc-glands oblong, stipitate, thickened and truncate at the apex; ovary 1.5 mm diam., densely glandular-hirtellous; styles bipartite, 0.5 mm long. Fruit depressed-rounded-trigonus, 3-4 mm diam, sparingly glandular-hirtellous. Seeds 1.5 mm, reticulate-foveolate, pale yellowish-brown.
Fl. & Fr. Per.: December-May (- August).
Holotype: Upper Egypt, Lippi s.n. in Herb. Sprengel (B). Isotypes (G-DC, P).
Distribution: From the Cape Verde Is. & Morocco eastwards through N. Africa and the Middle East to Pakistan, northwards to S. Turkey & southwards to Cameroun, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Abdal-Kuri.
Common in coarse dry sandy pebbly soil in barren ground and in rock crevices on dry stony hills in semidesert, sometimes under Prosopis; 700'/210 m. - 900'/275 m.
