Anacyclus pyrethrum

Anacyclus pyrethrum (L.) Link var. depressus (Ball) Maire — Depressed Anacyclus, or Moroccan Pellitory. Perennial Asteraceae, native to the high mountains of the Maghreb, mainly the High Atlas and Middle Atlas of Morocco, where it grows between 1,800 and 3,600 meters in altitude, on limestone screes, rock gardens, and high-altitude lawns exposed to the sun, in conditions of intense winter cold, marked summer drought, and perfect drainage.

It forms a flattened basal rosette, strictly prostrate, from which short, branched creeping stems radiate, bearing finely pinnatisect foliage, gray-green to silver, with a soft and delicate texture reminiscent of some yarrow. The capitula, solitary at the top of erect stems, are large for the plant: they feature a bright yellow, domed, and compact central disc, surrounded by long white to pink ligules on their upper side, and intense carmine to purple-red on their underside. This bicoloration, particularly spectacular on still-closed buds and on flowers that close in the evening, is the main ornamental attraction of the plant. Blooming occurs from May to July depending on altitude and exposure.

From an ethnobotanical and medicinal standpoint, the root of Anacyclus pyrethrum in the broad sense has been used since antiquity in Arab, Berber, and European pharmacopoeias. It contains powerful alkamides, notably pellitorine, responsible for a strong sialagogue and local anesthetic action: chewing a piece of root causes intense salivation, tingling, and progressive numbness of the oral mucous membranes. This property earned it the name "Pellitory," from the Greek pyr , fire, in reference to the burning sensation felt. It was traditionally used against toothaches, facial paralysis, and as a general stimulant, and still appears today in some phytotherapeutic preparations.

In cultivation, it is an excellent plant for rock gardens, walls, and alpine gardens. It requires perfectly drained, light, stony, or sandy soil, in full sun exposure. It tolerates cold winters provided the drainage is impeccable, as stagnant moisture in winter is its main cause of failure in cultivation. It propagates by spring sowing or by division of clumps, and harmoniously associates with Aubrieta , Armeria , Dianthus and Phlox subulata in spring rock garden compositions.