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.
Schinus is a genus of flowering trees and tall shrubs in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as pepper trees. The Peruvian pepper tree is the source of the spice known as pink peppercorn.
Pouteria is a genus of flowering trees in the gutta-percha family, Sapotaceae. The genus is widespread throughout the tropical Americas, with outlier species in Cameroon and Malesia. It includes the canistel, the mamey sapote, and the lucuma. Commonly, this genus is known as pouteria trees, or in some cases, eggfruits.
Ruellia is a genus of flowering plants commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias. They are not closely related to petunias (Petunia) although both genera belong to the same euasterid clade. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle (1474–1537), herbalist and physician to Francis I of France and translator of several works of Dioscorides.
Ruellia verbasciformis is a species of flowering plant native to the Cerrado vegetation of Brazil. It is endemic to west-central Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Ruellia simplex, the Mexican petunia, Mexican bluebell or Britton's wild petunia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is a native of Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. It has become a widespread invasive plant in Florida, where it was likely introduced as an ornamental before 1933, as well as in the eastern Mediterranean, South Asia and other parts of the eastern hemisphere.
Ruellia brevicaulis is a species of flowering plant native to Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is native to the Cerrado vegetation of Brazil.
Ruellia asperula is a medicinal plant native to eastern Brazil and growing in Caatinga vegetation and Cerrado vegetation. Flowers, leaves, and roots of this plant are usually macerated and used to treat asthma, bronchitis, fever, flu, and uteral inflammation.
Ruellia hypericoides is a species of flowering plant native to southern Paraguay, southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and Uruguay. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Ruellia menthoides is a plant native to the Cerrado vegetation of Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Ruellia pohlii is a plant native to the Cerrado vegetation of Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Nothura is a genus of birds in the tinamou family. This genus comprises five members of this South American family.
Axonopus is a genus of plants in the grass family, known generally as carpet grass. They are native primarily to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas with one species in tropical Africa and another on Easter Island. They are sometimes rhizomatous and many are tolerant of periodic submersion.
Collaea is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to subfamily Faboideae and tribe Diocleae. It includes five species native to the southern tropical South America, ranging from Peru to northeastern Brazil and northeastern Argentina.
Anthanassa frisia, the Cuban crescentspot, Cuban checkerspot or Cuban crescent, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Subspecies tulcis is known by the common names pale-banded crescent or Tulcis crescent; it is treated as a species by some authors.
Zephyranthes tubispatha, synonym Habranthus tubispathus, the Rio Grande copperlily or Barbados snowdrop, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. It is a perennial bulb native to southern South America. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental and reportedly naturalized in the southeastern United States, much of the West Indies as well as Bermuda, eastern Mexico, India, Easter Island, and central Chile.
Betencourtia is a genus of plants in the pea family (Fabaceae). It includes eight species native to South America, ranging from Colombia and Venezuela through Brazil to Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina.
