Botanical Family · Lamiales
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family
182 speciesOrder Lamiales8+ well-known plants
A family of herbs, shrubs, and climbers predominantly found in tropical and subtropical regions. Known for their showy, tubular flowers and opposite leaves. Many are cultivated as ornamentals; some have medicinal applications in traditional systems.
Browse all 182 species ↓
How to recognise the Acanthaceae family
- 01
Opposite leaves, often with cystoliths
- 02
Tubular 2-lipped flowers
- 03
Explosive seed dispersal via elastic valves
Typical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
All 182 species in ACANTHACEAE
- Holly-Leaved Acanthus; Holy MangroveAcanthus ilicifolius
- Bear's BreechesAcanthus mollis
- False WaterwillowAndrographis echioides
- Striped ChirettaAndrographis lineata
- King Of BittersAndrographis neesiana
- CreatAndrographis paniculata
- Creeping CreatAndrographis serpyllifolia
- Zebra-PlantAphelandra squarrosa
- Dalzell's Asystasia, Violet AsystasiaAsystasia dalzelliana
- Ganges Primrose, Chinese VioletAsystasia gangetica
- Mysore AsystasiaAsystasia mysorensis
- Travancore AsystasiaAsystasia travancorica
- Hopehead, Iksura, Box-Leaved BarleriaBarleria buxifolia
- Yellow-Throated Bush-VioletBarleria courtallica
- Bluebell Barleria, Crested Philippine Violet, Philippine VioletBarleria cristata
- Spiny BarleriaBarleria cuspidata
- Purple Bush-VioletBarleria gibsonii
- Dev KorantiBarleria grandiflora
- Purple-Throated Bush-VioletBarleria involucrata var. elata
- Law's BarleriaBarleria lawii
- Lamb KorantiBarleria longiflora
- Mountain Barleria, Hill BarleriaBarleria montana
- Mysore Bush-VioletBarleria mysorensis
- Night-Blooming Bush-VioletBarleria noctiflora
- Pink BarleriaBarleria prattensis
- Porcupine Flower BarleriaBarleria prionitis
- Porcupine FlowerBarleria prionitis subsp. prionitoides
- Porcupine Flower BarleriaBarleria prionitis subsp. pubiflora
- Red Barleria, Coral CreeperBarleria repens
- Bristly Blue Bush-VioletBarleria strigosa
- Blue BarleriaBarleria terminalis
- Blue Trumpet BushBarleria tomentosa
- Hill BlepharisBlepharis asperrima
- Creeping BlepharisBlepharis maderaspatensis
- Large Flowered CalacanthusCalacanthus grandiflorus
- KarviCarvia callosa
- Tropic Flame CrossandraCrossandra infundibuliformis
- Stinking FoldwingDicliptera foetida
- White Veld VioletDipteracanthus patulus
- Bell WeedDipteracanthus prostratus
- Snake HerbDyschoriste dalzelii
- Erect SnakeherbDyschoriste erecta
- Ran AboliEcbolium ligustrinum
- Green Shrimp PlantEcbolium viride var. viride
- Asian ScalystemElytraria acaulis
- Konkan EranthemumEranthemum capense
- Blue EranthemumEranthemum nervosum
- Blue EranthemumEranthemum roseum
- Nerve PlantFittonia albivenis
- Caricature-PlantGraptophyllum pictum
- Fever GymnostachyumGymnostachyum febrifugum
- Smooth GymnostachyumGymnostachyum glabrum
- Broad-Leaf GymnostachyumGymnostachyum latifolium
- Many-Flowered GymnostachyumGymnostachyum polyanthum
- Tentacled Spiny BottlebrushHaplanthodes tentaculatus
- Spiny Bottle BrushHaplanthodes verticillatus
- Red Ivy, Red Flame Ivy, Waffle PlantHemigraphis alternata
- Scalloped HemigraphisHemigraphis crenata
- Shade Loving ConeflowerHemigraphis latebrosa
- Long-Leaved BarleriaHygrophila auriculata
- Erect HygrophilaHygrophila ringens
- Marsh CarpetHygrophila serpyllum
- Polka Dot PlantHypoestes phyllostachya
- Vasa, Vasaka, Malabar Nut, AdhatodaJusticia adhatoda
- Yellow JacobiniaJusticia aurea
- White Shrimp Plant, Squirrel Tail, Paper PlumeJusticia betonica var. betonica
- The Mexican Shrimp PlantJusticia brandegeeana
- Brazilian Plume, Flamingo Flower, Pink Jacobinia, Plume FlowerJusticia carnea
- Spreading JusticiaJusticia diffusa
- Daun Rusa, Gandarusa, Water-WillowJusticia gendarussa
- Smooth JusticiaJusticia glabra
- Glaucous JusticiaJusticia glauca
- Common Small JusticiaJusticia japonica
- Purple JusticiaJusticia procumbens
- Prostrate JusticiaJusticia prostrata
- Mountain JusticiaJusticia santapaui
- Three-Nerved Squirrel TailJusticia trinervia
- Wayanad JusticiaJusticia wynaadensis
- Crested LepidagathisLepidagathis cristata
- Spiny LepidagathisLepidagathis cuspidata
- Fascicled-Flower Scaly-BallLepidagathis fasciculata
- Curved Scaly-BallLepidagathis incurva
- Curved Scaly-BallLepidagathis incurva var. mucronata
- Spiny-Leaf LepidagathisLepidagathis pungens
- Purple Stem Scaly-BallLepidagathis purpuricaulis
- Frilly Scaly-BallLepidagathis trinervis
- Brazilian Red CloakMegaskepasma erythrochlamys
- Blue PussyleafNelsonia canescens
- Cushion PlantNeuracanthus sphaerostachys
- FirespikeOdontonema tubaeforme
- Candle Plant, Golden Shrimp Plant, Lollipop Plant, Yellow Shrimp PlantPachystachys lutea
- Magenta PlantPeristrophe bicalyculata
- Panicled FoldwingPeristrophe paniculata
- Barleria Petal-BushPetalidium barlerioides
- PapleafPhaulopsis imbricata
- Mal KarvyPleocaulus ritchei
- Malabar False EranthemumPseuderanthemum malabaricum
- Golden PseuderanthemumPseuderanthemum reticulatum
- Snake Jasmine, Dainty SpursRhinacanthus nasutus
- Mexican RuelliaRuellia brittoniana
- Prostrate Wild PetuniaRuellia prostrata
- Mexican RuelliaRuellia simplex
- Way-Side Tuberose, Meadow Weeds, Minnieroot, WaterkanonRuellia tuberosa
- Comb RungiaRungia pectinata
- Creeping RungiaRungia repens
- Shrubby WhiteveinSanchezia nobilis
- Sanchezia, Fire FingersSanchezia speciosa
- Bearded ConeflowerStrobilanthes barbatus
- Lesser KurinjiStrobilanthes ciliatus
- Leaf-Enclosed ConeflowerStrobilanthes foliosa
- Karun KurinjiStrobilanthes heyneanus
- Entire-Leaf ConeflowerStrobilanthes integrifolia
- Hop ConeflowerStrobilanthes lupulinus
- Lurid ConeflowerStrobilanthes luridus
- Palani ConeflowerStrobilanthes pulneyensis
- Sky Blue KarvyThelepaepale ixiocephala
- Black-Eyed Susan VineThunbergia alata
- Scarlet Clock VineThunbergia coccinea
- Upright Thunbergia, Blue Bell, King's Mantle, Bush Clock VineThunbergia erecta
- Wight Thunbergia, Thunbergia Wight GemThunbergia fragrans var. fragrans
- Sweet Clock VineThunbergia fragrans var. laevis
- The White ThunbergiaThunbergia fragrans var. vestita
- Large-Flowered Thunbergia, Bengal Trumpet, Blue Trumpet Vine, Blue Sky Vine, Large-Flowered ThunbergiaThunbergia grandiflora
- Blue Trumpet VineThunbergia laurifolia
- The Mysore Thunbergia, Mysore Clock VineThunbergia mysorensis
- Andrographis affinis
- Andrographis alata
- Andrographis explicata
- Andrographis glandulosa
- Andrographis megamalayana
- Andrographis nallamalayana
- Andrographis ovata
- Andrographis producta
- Asystasia crispata
- Barleria acuminata
- Barleria cristata var. dichotoma
- Barleria involucrata var. involucrata
- Barleria nitida
- Barleria stocksii
- Blepharis repens
- Dicliptera cuneata
- Diotacanthus albiflorus
- Diotacanthus grandis
- Dyschoriste litoralis
- Dyschoriste vagans
- Eranthemum capense var. concanense
- Eranthemum purpurascens
- Gymnostachyum canescens
- Gymnostachyum latifolium var. decurrens
- Haplanthodes nilgherrensis
- Indoneesiella echioides
- Indoneesiella longipedunculata
- Justicia neesii
- Lepidagathis barberi
- Lepidagathis prostrata
- Lepidagathis subarmata
- Leptostachya wallichii
- Mackenziea intergrifolia
- Meyenia hawtayneana
- Neuracanthus trinervius
- Nilgirianthus heyneanus
- Nilgirianthus lupulinus
- Nilgirianthus warrensis
- Odontonema strictum
- Phlebophyllum kunthianum
- Pleocaulus sessilioides
- Rungia crenata
- Rungia elegans
- Rungia sisparensis
- Rungia wightiana
- Staurogyne glauca
- Staurogyne zeylanica
- Stenosiphonium cordifolium
- Stenosiphonium parviflorum
- Stenosiphonium russelianum
- Strobilanthes aurita
- Strobilanthes consanguineus
- Strobilanthes decurrens
- Strobilanthes gracilis
- Strobilanthes micranthus
- Strobilanthes neoaspera
- Strobilanthes tristis
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