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 depends on butterflies, such as Anartia fatima, and other nectar-feeding organisms to distribute its pollen. 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.
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.
Hygrophila, commonly known as swampweeds, is a genus of flowering plants in the acanthus family, Acanthaceae. There are about 80 to 100 species, of which many are aquatic plants. The genus is distributed across the tropical and subtropical world. It is one of only two genera in its family that contains aquatic plants, the other being Justicia. The genus is treated in the tribe Hygrophileae, which is noted as being in need of revision at the genus level, meaning the current taxonomic boundaries of Hygrophila are likely to change in the future.
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.
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.
Neuracanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It includes 32 species native to tropical Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, Indian subcontinent, and Indochina.
Sclerochiton is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It includes 18 species native to tropical and southern Africa.
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.
Dyschoriste is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It includes 98 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, and southern Asia. Members of the genus are commonly known as snakeherb.
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
Ecbolium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It includes 26 species native to southern and eastern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Indian subcontinent, and Myanmar.
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.
