Acanthus (plant)

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Acanthus is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and warm temperate regions, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean Basin and Asia. This flowering plant is nectar-producing and depends on butterflies, such as Anartia fatima, and other nectar-feeding organisms to distribute its pollen. Common names include Acanthus and bear's breeches. The generic name derives from the Greek term Script error: No such module "Lang". (akanthos) for Acanthus mollis, a plant that was commonly imitated in Corinthian capitals.[1][2]

The genus comprises herbaceous perennial plants, rarely subshrubs, with spiny leaves and flower spikes bearing white or purplish flowers. Size varies from Script error: No such module "convert". in height.

Species

29 species are accepted:[3]

  1. Acanthus albus Debnath, B.K.Singh & P.GiriScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  2. Acanthus arboreus Forssk. (1775)
  3. Acanthus austromontanus Vollesen — This species is native to southwestern Tanzania
  4. Acanthus carduaceus Griff.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  5. Acanthus caroli-alexandri Hausskn.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Syn. Acanthus greuterianus Snogerup, B.Snogerup & Strid (2006)[4][5]) — This species was discovered in NW Greece.
  6. Acanthus caudatus LindauScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  7. Acanthus dioscoridis Willd.
  8. Acanthus ebracteatus Vahl — This species occurs in South Asia, including Brunei Darussalam, China, South Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. In Australasia it is found in northeast Australia, northwest Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
  9. Acanthus eminens C.B.Clarke — native to tropical Africa
  10. Acanthus flexicaulis Bremek.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  11. Acanthus gaed LindauScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  12. Acanthus guineensis Heine & P.TaylorScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  13. Acanthus hirsutus Boiss. — native to Turkey, Syria
  14. Acanthus hungaricus (Borbás) Baen.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Syn. Acanthus balcanicus Heywood & I.Richardson, Acanthus longifolius Host) — native to the Balkans south of Dalmatia
  15. Acanthus ilicifolius L. — native to India and Sri Lanka
  16. Acanthus kulalensis Vollesen
  17. Acanthus latisepalus C.B. Clarke (1899)
  18. Acanthus leucostachyus Wall. ex Nees. (1832)
  19. Acanthus longibracteatus Kurz (1870)
  20. Acanthus mayaccanus Büttner (1890)
  21. Acanthus mollis L. — native to Mediterranean Europe
  22. Acanthus montanus (Nees) T.Anders. — West and Central African species, from Ghana in the west to Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  23. Acanthus pubescens Thomson ex Oliv.
  24. Acanthus polystachyus Delile — native to Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania.
  25. Acanthus sennii Chiov.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  26. Acanthus seretii De Wild.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  27. Acanthus spinosus L. — native to southern Europe
  28. Acanthus uleensis De Wild. — native to Central (primarily DR Congo and Republic of the Congo) and East Africa (primarily Tanzania)[7]
  29. Acanthus villaeanus De Wild.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  30. Acanthus volubilis Wall.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Cultivation and uses

File:AcanthusmollisPalatineHill.jpg
An acanthus (A. mollis) flowering in the ruins of the Palatine Hill, Rome, May 2005

Acanthus leaves were the aesthetic basis for capitals in the Corinthian order of architecture; Several species, especially A. balcanicus, A. spinosus and A. mollis, are grown as ornamental plants.

Acanthus leaves also have many medicinal uses. Acanthus ilicifolius, whose chemical composition has been heavily researched, is widely used in ethnopharmaceutical applications, including in Indian and Chinese traditional medicine.[8] Various parts of Acanthus ilicifolius have been used to treat asthma, diabetes, leprosy, hepatitis, snake bites, and rheumatoid arthritis.[9] The leaves of Acanthus ebracteatus, noted for their antioxidant properties, are used for making herbal tea in Thailand and Indonesia.[10]

References

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  1. ↑ Template:LSJ. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Template:GRIN
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".

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External links

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