🌿 Family

Acanthaceae

126 species · Plants

🔍 How to identify Acanthaceae →

Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Acanthaceae

Acanthus ilicifolius L.

Acanthus ilicifolius L. is a mangrove shrub up to 2 m tall, widely distributed in Southeast Asia to northern Australia.

Acanthus mollis L.

Acanthus mollis L. is a clump-forming perennial herb, native to the Mediterranean, often grown but often invasive in horticulture.

Andrographis paniculata (Burm.fil.) Nees

Andrographis paniculata is an erect herb widely distributed in Asia, with traditional uses, ongoing safety evaluations, and no proven cancer benefit.

Anisacanthus thurberi (Torr.) A.Gray

Anisacanthus thurberi is a woody shrub native to the southwestern US and northern Mexico, adapted to hummingbird pollination.

Aphelandra scabra (Vahl) Sm.

Representative specimens of Aphelandra scabra (Vahl) Sm. are from various locations in Mpio. Gómez Farías and Mpio. Llera, with collectors like L. Hernández, F. Medrano, A. Mora - Olivo, A. Richardson, and A. Valiente B., and stored in institutions such as MEXU, UAT, TEX, and ASU.

Asystasia gangetica (L.) T.Anderson

Asystasia gangetica is a spreading herb with edible leaves, traditional medicinal uses, and ornamental value, naturalized in many tropical regions.

Asystasia intrusa (Forssk.) Blume

Asystasia intrusa is a scrambling flowering plant native to Africa and nearby areas, introduced to parts of Asia and the Americas.

Avicennia germinans (L.) L.

Avicennia germinans, the black mangrove, is a tropical coastal mangrove tree that helps support shorelines and coastal wildlife.

Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh.

Avicennia marina, the grey mangrove, is a variable salt-tolerant mangrove species distributed across Indo-Pacific and African coasts.

Barleria cristata L.

Barleria cristata L. is a flowering shrub native to South and East Asia, grown ornamentally and used in traditional medicine.

Barleria elegans S.Moore

Barleria elegans S.Moore is a spiny perennial herb or subshrub in Acanthaceae, native to southern Africa, with two accepted subspecies.

Barleria obtusa Nees

Barleria obtusa (bush violet) is an Acanthaceae flowering plant native to southern Africa, cultivated as a garden shrub and used for food and medicine.

Barleria oenotheroides Dum.Cours.

Daniel (1995) described Barleria oenotheroides, which reaches its northernmost point in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Neotropical plants were called B. micans Nees, and its yellow corollas turn purplish when dry.

Barleria prionitis L.

Barleria prionitis L. is a branched shrub, widely grown as an ornamental, used in traditional medicine across South and Southeast Asia.

Barleria repens Nees

Barleria repens, small bush violet, is an Acanthaceae plant native to African forests and woodlands from tropical Africa to South Africa.

Blepharis capensis (L.fil.) Pers.

Blepharis capensis, or Cape lashes, is a subtropical Blepharis species native to southern Africa from Namibia to Cape Province.

Brunoniella australis (Cav.) Bremek.

Brunoniella australis (blue trumpet or blue yam) is a small widespread Australian herb that grows in moist eucalypt habitats.

Crossandra infundibuliformis (L.) Nees

Crossandra infundibuliformis is an evergreen flowering shrub cultivated as a houseplant and for making decorative garlands.

Dianthera americana L.

Dianthera americana (American water-willow) is a North American native aquatic perennial plant used in shoreline restoration.

Dicliptera brachiata (Pursh) Spreng.

Dicliptera brachiata is a plant that grows 0.3–1.0 m tall with simple, smooth, glabrous ovate leaves.

Dicliptera resupinata (Vahl) Juss.

Dicliptera resupinata is an herb that grows up to 61 cm tall, flowering from spring through early fall.

Dicliptera sexangularis (L.) Juss.

Sixangle foldwing (Dicliptera sexangularis) is a red-bloomed perennial dicot flowering plant in the Acanthaceae family, found across parts of the Americas.

Dicliptera squarrosa Nees

Dicliptera squarrosa Nees, the hummingbird plant, is a drought-tolerant subshrub that attracts hummingbirds and is grown ornamentally.

Dicliptera tinctoria (Nees) Kostel.

Dicliptera tinctoria is a perennial herb used as a purple Vietnamese food dye and in traditional Chinese medicine.

Related Families

Lamiaceae 576 species Plantaginaceae 339 species Orobanchaceae 190 species Scrophulariaceae 111 species Oleaceae 87 species Phrymaceae 75 species Bignoniaceae 65 species Lentibulariaceae 63 species

Start Exploring Nature Today

Download iNature for free. 10 identifications on us. No account needed. No credit card required.

Download Free on App Store