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.

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Representative specimen · Acanthaceae

Key pattern

Opposite leaves and irregular, figwort-like tubular flowers carried in bracted spikes, maturing into an explosive seed capsule.

Widely grown as ornamentals and hedge plants in warm climates; largely non-toxic, with the bracted spike and popping capsule as the clearest field marks.

Identify the species

Which Acanthaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Acanthaceae species.

Click a node to trace its path · pinch or scroll to zoom · drag to pan

Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?

Blue

Green

Orange

Pink

Purple

Red

White

Yellow

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Climbing vine

Herb

Shrub

Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Hirsute (coarsely hairy)

Pubescent (softly hairy)

Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Tomentose (woolly, matted hairs)

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Climbing vine

Shrub

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Herb

Shrub

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Climbing vine

Herb

Shrub

Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Hirsute (coarsely hairy)

Pubescent (softly hairy)

Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Hirsute (coarsely hairy)

Pubescent

Pubescent (softly hairy)

Spiny

ArmatureDoes the plant have spiny leaves or bracts?

Spiny

Unarmed

ArmatureDoes the plant have spiny leaves or bracts?

Spiny

Unarmed

ArmatureDoes the plant have spiny leaves or bracts?

Spiny

Unarmed

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Climbing vine

Shrub

Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Pubescent

Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Pubescent

Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Glaucous (waxy blue-grey bloom)

Hirsute

Hirsute (coarsely hairy)

Pubescent

Pubescent (softly hairy)

Spiny

ArmatureDoes the plant have spiny leaves or bracts?

Spiny

Unarmed

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Herb

Shrub

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Herb

Shrub

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Herb

Shrub

How to recognise the Acanthaceae family

01
Opposite leaves, often with cystoliths
02
Tubular 2-lipped flowers
03
Explosive seed dispersal via elastic valves

Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Acanthaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method