Harkata / Holly-Leaved Acanthus
Acanthus ilicifolius
Also known as Holy Mangrove
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal & more
- Flowering
- November-July
How to identify Harkata
Identify Harkata by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Holly-like spiny leaves, grows in mangroves.
- Confirm leaf shape: Lanceolate.
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous.
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- Confirm fruit type: Capsule.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: November-July.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Acanthus ilicifolius
- Genus
- Acanthus
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Mangrove, marshy areas
- Native to
- Australia, India, Southeast Asia
- Distribution
- Indo-Malesia, Australia, South and Tropical Africa
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Goa, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka
- Flowering & fruiting
- November-July
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.“The leaves have oblong to oblong-lanceolate blades (6–14 × 2–5 cm) that are pinnatifid, with an acute base, truncate apex, and margins bearing a few large spines;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“The petioles are thick (3–6 mm), hairless, and bear two stipule-like spines at the base.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Harkata itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
- Fruit type
- CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.“The fruit is an elliptic capsule (2.5–3 cm) containing four flattened, ellipsoidal, light yellow seeds.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Harkata itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- हड़कत harkata
- Bengali
- হাড়গোজা hargoza, কটকি kataki, নীল টেংরাকাঁটা nila tenrakanta
- Tamil
- ஆற்றுமுள்ளி arru-mulli, கழுதைமுள்ளி kalutai-mulli, கோழிமுள்ளி koli-mulli
- Telugu
- అలస్యకంప alasyakampa, అలిసి alisi, ఏటిచిల్ల etichilla
- Kannada
- ಹೊಳೆಚುಳ್ಳಿ holechulli, ತುಡೆಚುಳ್ಳಿ tudechulli, ಹರಿಕುಶ harikusha
- Malayalam
- ചുള്ളി chulli, ചുള്ളിക്കണ്ടൽ chullikkantal, പയിങ്ങാച്ചുള്ളി payingngaachchulli
- Marathi
- मारांडी marandi, निवगूर nivagur, वागाटी vagati
About Harkata
Holly-leaved Acanthus (Acanthus ilicifolius) is a shrub in the Acanthaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal and 8 other states. It grows in mangrove, marshy areas. Flowering and fruiting run from November to July.
Uses
It is long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family
Harkata belongs to the Acanthaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Acanthaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Harkata or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides