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.
Justicia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It is the largest genus within the family, encompassing around 700 species with hundreds more as yet unresolved. They are native to tropical to warm temperate regions of the Americas, India, and Africa. The genus serves as host to many butterfly species, such as Anartia fatima. Common names include water-willow and shrimp plant, the latter from the inflorescences, which resemble a shrimp in some species. The generic name honours Scottish horticulturist James Justice (1698–1763). They are closely related to Pachystachys.
Dicliptera is a genus of flowering plants in the bear's breeches family, Acanthaceae. It includes 223 species native to the tropics and subtropics worldwide. Well-known synonyms include Peristrophe and Dactylostegium.
Lepidagathis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It includes 151 species native to the tropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, south and southeast Asia, southern China, Malesia, and New Guinea.
Hypoestes is a flowering plant genus of about 150 species. They are widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical lands around the Indian Ocean, and some adjacent regions.
Cordyla is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It includes seven species native to sub-Saharan Africa, ranging across northern Africa from Senegal to Somalia, and through eastern Africa from Sudan to KwaZulu-Natal, including Madagascar.
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.
Isoglossa is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It includes 78 species native to tropical Africa, Yemen, the eastern Himalayas, southern China, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Java, Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and New South Wales.
Pseuderanthemum is a genus of plants in family Acanthaceae with a pantropical distribution.
Mimulopsis is a genus in the flowering plant family Acanthaceae with about 30 species native to tropical Africa and Madagascar.
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.
Ammocharis is a small genus from sub-Saharan Africa, in the family Amaryllidaceae which includes seven species distributed in Africa. The plant grows as above-ground bulb, preferring seasonally wet, hot, sandy soils and full sun.
Fadogia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genera Rytigynia and Fadogia form a strongly supported clade but neither of these genera is monophyletic.
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.
Stenandriopsis is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Acanthaceae. It includes 20 species native to tropical Africa and Madagascar. Molecular phylogenies have placed the Old World Stenandriopsis apart from New World Stenandrium, and the genus is accepted in a classification of the family Acanthaceae published in 2022.
Ruspolia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Acanthaceae.
