Description
Family Acanthaceae
The Acanthaceae are mostly herbs or shrubs comprising about 250 genera and 2,500 species, including twining forms. The leaves are simple , opposite and decussate; stipules are lacking. The flowers are bisexual , zygomorphic, and usually are associated with conspicuous , often brightly colored bracts. The calyx is usually deeply 4-5 lobed or sometimes is highly reduced with more numerous minute teeth. The corolla is sympetalous , usually 5-merous, mostly zygomorphic, and commonly 2 lipped. The androecium usually consists of 4 didynamous stamens or only 2 stamens adnate to the corolla tube or epigynous zone, alternate with the lobes . The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of 2 carpels, a single style , and a superior ovary with 2 locules, each with usually 2-10 axile ovules in one or two collateral vertical tiers . An annular nectary disk is usually found around the base of the ovary. The fruit is commonly an elastically dehiscent loculicidal capsule. The seed stalk or funiculus of each seed is modified into a hook shaped jaculator or retinaculum that functions in flinging out the seeds during dehiscence. -- Gerald Carr.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- Kingdom:
Plantae
()
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
()
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
()
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
()
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
()
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Subclass:
Lamiidae
()
- Takhtajan Ex Reveal, 1992
- Superorder:
Lamianae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Order:
Scrophulariales
()
- Lindley, 1833
- Family:
Acanthaceae
()
- Durande, 1782, Nom. Cons.
- Acanthus Family
- Subfamily:
Acanthoideae
()
- Genus:
Acanthus
()
- Linnaeus, 1753
- Specific epithet:
capensis
- Thunb.
- Botanical name: - Acanthus capensis Thunb.
- Specific epithet:
capensis
- Thunb.
- Genus:
Acanthus
(
- Subfamily:
Acanthoideae
(
- Family:
Acanthaceae
(
- Order:
Scrophulariales
(
- Superorder:
Lamianae
(
- Subclass:
Lamiidae
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Notes
Publishing author : Thunb. Publication : Prodr. Pl. Cap. 97.
Similar Species
Members of the genus Acanthus
There are approximately 123 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:
A. 'Ben Hope' · A. 'Candelabra' · A. 'Hollande du Nort' · A. 'Summer Beauty' (Bears Breech) · A. arborescens · A. arboreus · A. australis · A. austromontanus · A. balcanicus · A. barteri · A. boissieri · A. capensis · A. carduaceus · A. carduifolius · A. caroli-alexandri (Bears Breeches) · A. caudatus · A. ciliaris · A. cristatus · A. delilei · A. dioscoridis (Bears Breeches) · A. dioscoridis smooth-leaved · A. dioscoridis var. brevicaulis · A. dioscoridis var. perringii · A. doloarin · A. dusenii · A. ebracteatus (Acanthus) · A. ebracteatus subsp. ebarbatus · A. ebracteatus subsp. ebracteatus · A. ebracteatus var. xiamenensis · A. edulis · A. eminens · A. flamandi · A. flexicaulis · A. furcatus · A. gaed · A. glaber · A. glaucus · A. glomeratus · A. grandiflorus · A. greuterianus · A. guineensis · A. hirsutus (Hairy Bears Breeches) · A. hirsutus f. roseus · A. hirsutus subsp. syriacus · A. hirsutus syriacus · A. hispanicus · A. humilis · A. hungaricus (Balkan Bear's Breeches) · A. ilicifolius (Holly Mangrove) · A. ilicifolius var. ilicifolius · A. ilicifolius var. subinteger · A. ilicifolius var. typica · A. ilicifolius var. xiamenensis · A. illicifolius · A. imbricatus · A. integrifolius · A. kirkii · A. kulalensis · A. latifolius · A. latisepalus · A. leucostachyus · A. longibracteatus · A. longifolius · A. longipetiolatus · A. lusitanicus · A. macer · A. maderaspatanus · A. maderaspatensis · A. mayaccanus · A. mollis (Bears Breeches) · A. mollis 'Feilding Gold' · A. mollis 'Fielding Gold' · A. mollis 'Hollard's Gold' (Bears Breeches) · A. mollis 'Jefalba' · A. mollis 'Latifolius' (Bear's Breeches) · A. mollis 'Niger' · A. mollis 'Oak Leaf' (Bear's Breech) · A. mollis 'Pride of Morvan' · A. mollis 'Rue Ledan' (Bears Breech) · A. mollis free-flowering · A. mollis Latifolius Group · A. montanus (Mountain Thistle) · A. mucronatus · A. neoguineensis · A. niger · A. nitidus · A. pectinatus · A. perringi · A. platyphyllus · A. polystachyus · A. polystachyus var. pseudopubescens · A. ponticus · A. procumbens · A. pubescens · A. pubescens var. pseudopubescens · A. pungens · A. raddei · A. repandus · A. repens · A. rubens
More Info
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Notes
Contributors
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed December 27, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 8887665
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 2494208
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:44845-1
- International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 44845-1
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1119037
