Dyerophytum indicum - Indian Desert Statice

Indian Desert Statice is an erect or climbing undershrub up to 1.5 m tall, glaucous, perennial undershrub, up to 1.5 m high, with round branches. Leaves are up to 6 x 4 cm, ovate, elliptic to nearly round, blunt or flat at tip, wavy-margined. leathery, more or less covered with rough scales. Leaves appear to be pierced by the stem. Flowers, which have bracts, are borne in 2.8 cm long, dense, panicle-like spikes, yellow. Calyx is tubular, 8-9 mm long, winged between 5 strong ribs; teeth 5, lanceshaped, half the length of tube. pointed. Flower-tube is cylindric, 1.5 cm long, petals ovate-oblong, 8 mm long, notched or ending in a tiny point. Stamens protrude out, style is thread-like, hairy at base. Capsules are oblong, enclosed in calyx-tube, 5-valved, hairless. Seeds are pear-shaped. smooth, brown. Indian Desert Statice is distributed throughout the Arabian Peninsula and Western India, found in scrub forests in association with Chitrak. Flowering: October-April.