Acanthocephalus is a small genus of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae (order Asterales), comprising two known species. It was formally described as a genus in 1842. The plants are native to Central Asia, with Acanthocephalus amplexifolius recorded from the Altai region and Acanthocephalus benthamianus from Uzbekistan. As members of Asteraceae, the plants bear the characteristic composite flower heads typical of the daisy family.
Etymology
The genus name Acanthocephalus is a contraction of two Greek words: ἄκανθα (akantha), meaning "thorn" or "prickle", and κεφαλή (kephale), meaning "head". This likely refers to the spiny or prickly appearance of the flower heads characteristic of the genus.
Distribution
Acanthocephalus is native to Central Asia. A. amplexifolius is recorded from the Altai region, while A. benthamianus is known from Uzbekistan.
