Sarcopoterium is a genus of flowering plants in the Rosaceae (rose) family. This genus is sometimes considered synonymous to Poterium. Sarcopoterium spinosum is the only species within this genus. The plant is previously identified as Poterium spinosum. In English it is known as the prickly, spiny, or thorny burnet.

Thorny Burnet is native to Mediterranean region, especially common to the southeast Mediterranean region and the Middle East. It is found in Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Libya, Turkiye, Syria, Lebanon, Jordon, Israel, Cyprus also extending eastwards to Iran. Poterium comes from Latin, was given for the resembles of the plant flowers to Poterium genus’s (now Sanguisorba genus) flowers. Spinosum is Latin and means “thorny, prickly” because this species bears thorny branches.  

Sarcopoterium spinosum is a dwarf perennial shrub, up to 70 cm in height, with branches ending in dichotomous and summertime leafless thorns. Plant has small, pinnate, green leaves. Investigations on the anatomy of the two leaf types in a seasonally dimorphic subshrub revealed interesting variations between summer and winter leaves. In the summer plant is dry and looks dead. Extensive summer leaves of Thorny Burnet possess a thick epidermis composed of tannin-containing cells and large amounts of mucilage secreted through the inner periclinal walls towards the mesophyll. A thick cuticle is also present on the surface of the leaf. In winter leaves the epidermal cells produce no mucilage while phenolics are accumulated in granular form only.

Sarcopoterium spinosum flowers in February to April and its fruits mature in autumn, then fall to earth to germinate with the rainwater. Plant has a high rate of seed production and establishes itself rapidly and vigorously after disturbance to its canopy. Combination of the plant’s clonal and sexual reproduction contributes to its long-term survival and dominance. Plant withstands at least -15 ºC cold. Propagation is done by seed.

Use in Landscape: Thorny Burnet is not a good choice for a home garden. Plant is useful for arid and semi-arid lands by preventing rainfall runoff and soil erosion also increased soil organic matter. Vegetation controls soil erosion via its canopy, roots, and litter components. Shrublands dominated by Sarcopoterium spinosum cover extensive areas in eastern Mediterranean ecosystems along the Mediterranean semi-arid climatic gradient.

Thorny Burnet widely used by the Beduin traditional medicine. Traditionally it is used as a tranquilizer. Its major use is for the treatment of diabetes, there are also documentations for its use as anti-inflammatory agent. Extracts of the plant have been shown to be useful in the control of postprandial blood glucose; their effects being achieved mainly through inhibition of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes (amylases and glucosidases). The whole bush is used as fuel, for making fences and sheep pens, for making brooms and as stuffing for mattresses.