Acanthaceae

Brillantaisia P.Beauv.

First published in Fl. Oware 2: 67 (1818)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka.

Descriptions

J. R. Timberlake, E. S. Martins (2013). Flora Zambesiaca, Vol 8 (5) Acanthaceae Part 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Perennial (rarely annual) or shrubby herbs or soft-wooded shrubs with conspicuous cystoliths, usually drying blackish; stems quadrangular with conspicuously swollen nodes
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, usually with 2 often broad decurrent flanges on petiole, entire or crenate to grossly and irregularly dentate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in large open or contracted panicles, rarely in spiciform racemes; bracts foliaceous; bracteoles absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx divided almost to base into 5 sepals, these linear to spathulate, all similar or dorsal larger
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla distinctly 2-lipped, lips ± same length; tube short and broad, with transverse fold just above insertion of stamens, slightly to distinctly constricted in upper part; upper lip 2-lobed, strongly hooded and laterally compressed; lower lip 3-lobed, ± flat or sides bent down, with a pouch and hinged at base, with a distinct herring-bone pattern
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2 (dorsal), held in upper lip, ventral reduced to 2 usually conspicuous staminodes; filaments long, inserted in tube and fused with it for some distance, broad and flattened, with a forward-directed tooth; hairy towards base; anthers long, linear to narrowly oblong, 2-thecous, muticous, thecae parallel, at same height
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-locular, with numerous ovules; disk large, annular; style linear, hairy, held under upper lip or exserted; stigma with linear ventral lobe usually wavy along edge, dorsal lobe reduced to a small tooth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule linear, tetragonous with valves deeply grooved on back; retinaculae indurated, curved
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 6–15 per locule, discoid, ovoid-cordiform, with dense hygroscopic hairs.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0