Forsskaolea tenacissima L.

Common in arid and semi-arid waste lands in sandy clay gravelly soils in N.W.F. Province, Punjab, Sind and Baluchistan from sea level to 1200 m. The plant is used as a cure for cough and headache in Baluchistan and is also fed to goats.

A suberect, up to 65 cm tall, hispid, woody herb. Leaves with 5-25 (-30) mm long petiole; lamina ovate-rhombic to obovate-orbicular, 1-4(4.5) cm long, 0.7-3(3.7) cm broad, upper side with uncinate and straight hairs, lower side densely white-wooly, margin sinuate or crenate dentate, cuneate at the base; stipules ovate, 3-5 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm broad, persistent, scarious. Involucral bracts (2-) 5 (-8), lanceolate-oblanceolate, 5-6 mm long, densely wooly. Male flowers 4-8 (-12), subsessile, female flowers 2-6 in centre of head, sessile. Calyx unequally 3-lobed. Stamen c. 3 mm long, anther apiculate. Ovary conical-ovate, c. 2 mm long, surrounded by dense wool, stigma as long as ovary. Achenes ovoid-elliptic, c. 3 mm long, reddish-brown.

Distribution: South west Europe (S.E.Spain), North Africa, Palestine, S.Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Fl.Per.: March-September.