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Acanthus family
Acanthaceae
キツネノマゴ科
A family including Justicia, Peristrophe, and Acanthus. About 220 genera and over 4,000 species are known, with the diversity center in the tropics and subtropics. Many species have well-developed bracts that protect the flowers.
Key Characteristics
- ●Corolla sympetalous, zygomorphic and bilabiate
- ●Stamens 2–4
- ●Bracts often large and conspicuous
- ●Leaves opposite
- ●Seeds often with explosive dehiscence mechanism
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Serrate / Dentate / Entire / Crenate
Growth form
Shrub / Tree / Herb
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf dissection
Dissected / Undivided
Stipules
Present / Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic / Zygomorphic
Petal count
6 petals / Many
Petal fusion
Fused
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
3-4 / 5
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Lamiales > Acanthaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene to Neogene
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Diversification in tropical rainforests and pollination coevolution with insects and birds
- ・Evolution of ballistic seed dispersal via elastic capsules
Plants in Acanthus family on this site
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