Gundelia mesopotamica

Perennial lactiferous herb with branched stem 50-80 cm. Completely dense hairs. Leaves coriaceous; alternate, pinnatipartite, pinnatilobe or pinnatisect, stiff spiny. Both side densely hairy and arachnoid hairs. Synflorescences normally 5-20, globose or ovoid, 50-65 mm long and 30-45 mm in diameter , consisting of 25-55 cephaloids. Synflorescence completely arachnoid hairy . Bracts spiny, more exceeding cephaloids , with a strong terminal spine and 2 lateral spines, uppermost bracts up to 55 mm long, and to 11 mm broad at base. Cephaloid compound of 6-7 flowers. Flowers campanulate to widely spreading, corolla externally purplish to reddish-brownish, internally white to cream, 9-11 mm long . Cephaloids glabrous. Fruit complex normally obconical to obovate, greyish brown, 10-13 mm long , in upper part 6-9 mm in diameter ; central and lateral flowers surrounded by spines originated from the involucels, spines of the central flowers 4-6 mm, of the lateral flowers 3-5 mm, obtained from 25 fruit of average weight 0.209 g .

Endemic.