Taxonomy of Angiosperms: Family-Acanthaceae

Based on the syllabus prescribed by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University for B. Sc.II Botany, paper: VII- Taxonomy of Angiosperms.

1. Family Acanthaceae
Dr. A.S.Naik

2. Classification
•Kingdom: Plantae
•Subdiv.:Angiosperms
•Class: dicotyledons
•Sub class: Gamopetalae
•Series: Bicarpellatae
•Order:Personales
•Family:Acanthaceae

3. Distribution, Habit and habitat
•250 genera and about 2500 species.
•Most aretropicalplants. Only a few species are distributed
intemperate regions.
•The four main centresof distribution areIndonesia
andMalaysia,Africa,Brazil, andCentral America.
•Can be found in variety ofhabitats,
including forests,scrublands, wet fields and valleys,
seacoastand marine areas,swamps, andmangroveforests.
•Mostly herbs. Or shrubs. Few epiphytes.

4. Description
Leaves-Simple,opposite,
decussatedleaveswith
entire (or toothed, lobed,
or spiny) margins,
exstipulatewith cystoliths
Inflorescence-Condensed
dichasialcyme or
solitary,axillaryor
racemosespike

5. AdhatodaCrossandra
BarleriaThunbergia

6. Floral morphology
•Flowersare perfect,zygomorphicto actinomorphic
•Typically, a colorfulbractsubtends each flower.
•Thecalyxusually has four or five lobes;
•Corollatubular, two-lipped or five-lobed.
•Androecium-stamensnumber either two or four, arranged in pairs and inserted on the corolla.
•Gynoecium-ovaryis superior and bicarpellated, with axileplacentation

7. Description-2
•Thefruit is a two-
celledcapsule,
dehiscingsomewhat
explosively.
•seedsare attached to a
small, hooked stalk (a
modifiedfuniculus
called ajaculatoror a
retinaculum) that
ejects
them from the capsule

8. Adhatodavasica

10. Economic Importance
•Ornamentals-Barleria, Crossandra, Justicia
Ruellia, Thunbergia.
•Dye yielding: Blue dye from leaves of
Strobilanthescusia.
•Medicinal:1.Adhatodavasica-leaf extracts
used for cough, bronchitis, asthama. 2.Seeds
of Barleriacristataused to treat
snakebite.3.Leaves and seeds of Hygrophylla
spinataused to cure jaundice.