Acantholimon (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere in rock gardens. Form The evergreen subshrubs are generally cushion to mat-forming, with densely tufted shoots bearing mostly awl (long, pointed spike) to needle or grass-like, prickle to spine-tipped hard-textured leaves. They have shortish, simple or branched flower stems which can be loose or dense. The summer-borne flowers are composed of a funnel-shaped calyx, usually with a flared membranous margin, and five spreading petals. Species There are over 400 species. Selected species of Acantholimon include: Acantholimon acerosum Acantholimon albertii Acantholimon anatolicum Acantholimon armenum Acantholimon artosense Acantholimon avenaceum Acantholimon bashkaleicum Acantholimon birandii Acantholimon calvertii Acantholimon capitatum Acantholimon davisii Acantholimon doganii Acantholimon gabrieljaniae Acantholimon gillii Acantholimon glumaceum Acantholimon goeksunicum Acantholimon hoshapicum Acantholimon ibrahimii Acantholimon karamanicum Acantholimon koeycegizicum Acantholimon kotschyi Acantholimon libanoticum Acantholimon riyatguelii Acantholimon schemachense Acantholimon turcicum Acantholimon ulicinum Acantholimon vedicum Acantholimon venustum Acantholimon yildizelicum References Caryophyllales genera Taxa named by Pierre Edmond Boissier