Acanthaceae

Abstract

Acanthaceae, also known as the Acanthus family, is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants, in the order of Lamiales, containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species, mostly tropical herbs, shrubs, or twining vines or epiphytes, with only a few species distributed in temperate regions, mostly in four main centers of distribution, Indonesia and Malaysia, Africa, Brazil, and Central America. Leaves are usually opposite and without stipules. Flowers are bisexual, zygomorphi to subactinomorphic, usually arranged to terminal or axillary spikes, and racemes or panicles. Calyx is usually 4- or 5-lobed. Corolla is sympetalous, and limbs are usually 5. Stamens are epipetalous, two or four, and didynamous. Ovary are superior, 2-loculed, and placentation axile. Fruit is a capsule, and usually loculicidal. Seeds are usually compressed. Three species, belonging to different genera, are illustrated in this chapter.