Acanthaceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are tropical herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epiphytes. Only a few species are distributed in temperate regions. The four main centres of distribution are Indonesia and Malaysia, Africa, Brazil, and Central America. Representatives of the family can be found in nearly every habitat, including dense or open forests, scrublands, wet fields and valleys, sea coast and marine areas, swamps, and mangrove forests.
Boswellia is a genus of trees in the order Sapindales, known for its fragrant resin. The biblical incense frankincense is an extract from the resin of the tree Boswellia sacra, and is now produced also from B. frereana. Boswellia species are moderate-sized flowering plants, including both trees and shrubs.
Acanthus is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and warm temperate regions, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean Basin and Asia. This flowering plant is nectar producing and is susceptible to predation by butterflies, such as Anartia fatima, and other nectar feeding organisms. Common names include Acanthus and bear's breeches. The generic name derives from the Greek term ἄκανθος (akanthos) for Acanthus mollis, a plant that was commonly imitated in Corinthian capitals.
The genus of the myrrhs, Commiphora, is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the (sub-) tropical regions of Africa, the western Indian Ocean islands, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and South America. The genus is drought-tolerant and common throughout the xerophytic scrub, seasonally dry tropical forests, and woodlands of these regions.
The genus Asystasia belongs to the family Acanthaceae and comprises 59 species found in the tropics of Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Guinea. It includes the weedy species Asystasia gangetica.
Ormocarpum is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 17 species native to tropical and southern Africa and parts of India, Indochina, Malesia, Papuasia, and the South Pacific. The genus was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic Dalbergia clade of the Dalbergieae.
Pluchea is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Inuleae within the family Asteraceae. Members of this genus might be known as camphorweeds, plucheas, or less uniquely fleabanes. Some, such as P. carolinensis and P. odorata, are called sourbushes. There are plants of many forms, from annual and perennial herbs to shrubs and trees, and there is variation in the morphology of leaves, flowers, and fruits.
Anisotes is a genus of Afrotropical plants in the family Acanthaceae. The genus is morphologically similar to Metarungia, from which it differs mainly in the dehiscence of the fruit capsule, and the nature of the placenta. Placentas remain attached to the inner surface of fruit capsules in Anisotes.
Blepharis is a genus of plant in family Acanthaceae. It contains around 128 species found in seasonally dry to arid habitats from Africa through Arabia to Southeast Asia. In section Acanthodium, there are 13–15 species that use the C4 carbon fixation pathway. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that this pathway evolved up to three times independently in the genus over the last five million years.
Brachystephanus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It includes 21 species native to tropical Africa and Madagascar.
Sclerochiton is a genus of plants in the family Acanthaceae.
Crossandra is a genus of plants in the family Acanthaceae, comprising 54 species that occur in Africa, Madagascar, Arabia and the Indian subcontinent. Some species, especially Crossandra infundibuliformis, are cultivated for their brightly colored flowers.
Tinnea (sunbells) is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae first described in 1867. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa. It was named in honour of the Dutch explorer Alexine Tinne.
- Tinnea aethiopicaKotschy ex Hook.f. - widespread from Mali to Somalia south to Mozambique; naturalized in Trinidad & Tobago
- Tinnea antiscorbuticaWelw. - DRC, Zambia, Angola
- Tinnea apiculataRobyns & Lebrun - eastern Africa from Rwanda to Mozambique
- Tinnea barbataVollesen - Eswatini, northern South Africa
- Tinnea barteriGürke - western Africa
- Tinnea benguellensisGürke - Angola
- Tinnea coeruleaGürke - DRC, Zambia, Angola
- Tinnea eriocalyxWelw. - DRC, Angola, Botswana, Namibia
- Tinnea galpiniiBriq. - Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa
- Tinnea gossweileriRobyns & Lebrun - Angola
- Tinnea gracilisGürke - Tanzania to Zambia
- Tinnea mirabilis(Bullock) Vollesen - Tanzania
- Tinnea physalisE.A.Bruce - Tanzania
- Tinnea platyphyllaBriq. - DRC
- Tinnea rhodesianaS.Moore - South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique
- Tinnea somalensisGürke ex Chiov. - Ethiopia
- Tinnea vesiculosaGürke - Tanzania, Malawi
- Tinnea vestitaBaker - Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Botswana
- Tinnea zambesiacaBaker - Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique
Endostemon (keepsafe) is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1910. It is native primarily to eastern Africa, with some species in central and southern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent.
- Endostemon albusA.J.Paton, Harley & M.M.Harley - Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique
- Endostemon camporum(Gürke) M.R.Ashby - Kenya, Tanzania
- Endostemon ctenoneurusHarley - Kenya, Somalia
- Endostemon glandulosusHarley & Sebsebe - Ethiopia
- Endostemon gracilis(Benth.) M.R.Ashby - Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Yemen
- Endostemon kelleri(Briq.) Ryding ex A.J.Paton & Harley - Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia
- Endostemon leucosphaerus(Briq.) A.J.Paton, Harley & M.M.Harley - Somalia, Ethiopia
- Endostemon membranaceus(Benth.) Ayob. ex A.J.Paton & Harley - Cameroon, Angola, Central African Republic
- Endostemon obbiadensis(Chiov.) M.R.Ashby - Somalia
- Endostemon obtusifolius(E.Mey.) N.E.Br. - from South Africa north to Angola and Tanzania
- Endostemon racemosusRyding, A.J.Paton & Thulin - Somalia
- Endostemon stenocaulis(Hedge) Ryding, A.J.Paton & Thulin - Somalia
- Endostemon tenuiflorus(Benth.) M.R.Ashby - eastern + southern Africa, Madagascar, Arabian Peninsula
- Endostemon tereticaulis(Poir.) M.R.Ashby - widespread across much of tropical Africa, also Yemen + Saudi Arabia
- Endostemon tomentosusHarley & Sebsebe - Somalia
- Endostemon tubulascens(Briq.) M.R.Ashby - Angola
- Endostemon usambarensisM.R.Ashby - Tanzania
- Endostemon villosus(Briq.) M.R.Ashby - central Africa
- Endostemon viscosus(Roth) M.R.Ashby - India, Assam, Sri Lanka
- Endostemon wakefieldii(Baker) M.R.Ashby - Kenya
Tetraena is a genus of flowering plants in the family Zygophyllaceae.
Commicarpus is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Nyctaginaceae. The genus contain some 30 to 35 species which are native to the tropics and subtropics. Most are found in Africa and western Asia, and eight species are native to southern Africa.
Duosperma is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Acanthaceae.
Pogonospermum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It includes 34 species native to sub-Saharan Africa.
