Leysera leyseroides (Desf.) Maire

Eastern desert, Gebel Elba and Sinai (St.Katherine).

Spain, north Africa, Sinai, Palestine, Syria, Arabia, Iraq, eastwards to Pakistan.

Tomentose-glabrescent, glandular, annual herbs. Branches capillary, often divaricate. Leaves 5-25 x 0.5-1 (-1.5) mm, laxly tomentose glabrescent on the dorsal surface, tomentose-stipitate glandular on the ventral surface. Capitula cyathiform. Peduncles 15-45 mm long, glabrous, phyllaries 15-45, scabrous, acute to obtuse, outer ones small, ovate, inner gradually longer, oblong, linear, 6-9 x 0.6-1.5 mm. Ray florets 8-30, rays very small, hardly exserted beyond the involucre. Cypselas of ray florets 2.8-4.5 mm long, pappus scales short, flat, acute to obtuse. Disc florets 20-100; corollas 2.8-4 mm long, tube with scattered, subulate-conical, multicellular hair. Cypselas equalling to that of ray florets, glabrous or with few scattered hairs; setae of inner pappus 2-5, barbellate at the base, plumose apically; scales of outer pappus, short, flat, ± obtuse.

Distribution: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Sinai, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan (Baluchistan).

The eastern most limit of this species is N W Baluchistan (Pakistan).