This section is from the book "Handbook Of Hardy Trees, Shrubs, And Herbaceous Plants", by W. Botting Hemsley. Also available from Amazon: Handbook of hardy trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.
A considerable genus of branching herbs with narrow linear rigid often spinescent leaves and larger flowers in loose spikes. The styles are united at the base, and the stigmas capitate, differing in this respect from Statice, with which it was formerly combined. The species are nearly all from Western Asia. The name is from akavOa, a thorn, and Limonium, the specific name of the common Statice,
1. A. glumaceum, syn. Statice Ararati. - A dwarf densely branched evergreen herb with spinescent foliage and rosy spicate flowers about 6 lines in diameter, and 6 to 8 in each spikelet. A native of Armenia, flowering in Summer.
A. venustum is a Persian species, larger than the preceding, with from 12 to 20 flowers in each spikelet.