Pycnocycla Lindl.

First published in J.F.Royle, Ill. Bot. Himal. Mts.: t. 51, f. 1a-h (1835)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is W. Tropical Africa to India.

Descriptions

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, rigid herbs, glabrous or shortly hairy, with divaricate subaphyllous branches
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnately dissected, palmate, or entire and palmately veined, when dissected the segments few, filiform or rigidly spinescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels compound, usually very compact
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Involucre and involucel present, spinescent or not
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Central flower hermaphrodite and fertile, the remainder pedicellate and male
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white, hairy, emarginate and ± 2–lobed above, the tips inflexed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx present, rather small, sometimes conspicuous at the tips of the male flowers in the fruiting stage
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit ovate-oblong, attenuate above, not partially immersed in the receptacle, which does not become accrescent; ribs not conspicuous, filiform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae
Vittae 2–3 in the valleculae
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium
Stylopodia conical, entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Styles long, filiform, erect with spreading tips
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels solitary or 2, the endosperm face deeply excavate, the margins involute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore
Carpophore absent.
Distribution
Twelve species distributed between tropical W Africa and NW India; a single species in Iraq.
Note
The only species in Iraq (P. flabellifolia, q.v.) is too rare and of too limited a distribution to be of economic interest, but another species P. aucheriana, which has not been found in Iraq, is reported as providing grazing for camels in Baluchistan (note on label of Crookshank 148 in Herb. Kew) while the roots are used as fuel in Afghanistan (Aitchison 817) and exude a foetid odour when burned. The vernacular name of another species (P. tomentosa) has been noted as SESEBAN (that is no doubt for SAISBĀN) in Sinai (Schimper 148), indicating that it is probably of local use there. Pycnocycla (from Gr. πυκνός, pyknos, dense, κυκλος, kyklos, a ring or circle, referring to the congested inflorescence).
[FIQ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs, often rigid and shrubby, often spiny (but not in Somalia); stems grooved
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 1–4-pinnate to simple
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels compound, dense and usually on long peduncles; bracts and bracteoles present; pedicels of outer flowers ± lengthening after flowering and often forming a cage-like structure; central flower in each partial umbel bisexual, other flowers male
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-lobes present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white or flushed pink, pubescent, the outermost ones sometimes larger than the others
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits ± terete, with a wide commissure; primary ribs inconspicuous; secondary ribs absent; dorsal and commissural vittae several; stylopodium shortly conical.
Distribution
Some 10 species in western, central and north-eastern Africa, south-western Asia and eastwards to India.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0