A taxonomic study of Acanthophyllum C. A Mey. (Caryophyllaceae) in Iran

The genus acanthophyllum in iran has been revised. according to the results of the present study three species i.e.,a. gracile bunge ex boiss., a. pachycephalum schiman-czeika & a. kandaharicum gilli are reduced to the rank of variety under a. bracteatum boiss. in addition, following nine synonymies are made: a. leucostegium schimanczeika and a. khuzistanicum rech. f. as synonimies of a. bracteatum boiss., a. kurdicum boiss. & hausskn. is treated as a synonym of a. crassifolium boiss., a. microcephalum boiss. as a synonym of a. mucronatum c. a. mey., a. crassinodum yukhan. & edmondson and a. chloroleucum rech. f. & ael1. as synonymies of a. glandulosum bunge ex boiss., a. borsczowii litw. as a synonym of a. elatius bunge ex boiss., a. heterophyllum reach. f. as a synonym of a. stocksianum boiss. and finally a. heratense schiman-czeika as a synonym of a. laxiusculum schiman-czeika. identification keys, descriptions and geographical distribution of all consisting taxa are included.