206 ACANTHUS FAMILY 



ACANTHUS FAMILY (Acanthaceae) 



Herbaceous plants. Flowers funnel-form with 5-lobed border 

 or 2-lipped. Stamens 2 or 4. Leaves opposite. Capsule few- 

 seeded. 



The genera BueUia and Calophanes are the most widely 

 distributed of this family in the peninsula, but in low pine- 

 lands in southern Florida the rose-colored Stenandrium 

 is locally abundant, and the red Diapedium is found in 

 sandy soil. 



The small, erect Calophanes ohlongifolia, with many 

 bluish purple flowers, often grows in small groups in dry 

 pinelands, where it begins to bloom in late winter. 



The beautiful ruellias are locally, but incorrectly, known 

 as wild petunias. R. humilis in habit recalls the blue gen- 

 tians of Alpine summits, which spring from the ground 

 stemless as soon as melting snows release the life beneath. 

 Haste is necessary in that short season, but here where haste 

 seems superfluous this plant spends no time in lifting its 

 large white-throated blue flowers high above the ground, 

 but sets them squarely on the Florida sand — pale chalices 

 open to the sky, like the distant gentians of the mountains. 

 The few leaves are close to the ground, and above them 

 the flowers open, one or two at a time, but only for a day. 

 The flowers of the taller R. parviflora are a deeper blue, 

 and the narrow throat is of nearly the same color as the 

 lobed border. 



The pretty Stenandrium, also, spends little time in form- 

 ing stems, but open rose-colored flowers close to its dark 

 green basal leaves. 



Flowers of Diapedium resemble those of the mints in 

 form, but as the seeds are in a capsule the plant is easily 

 distinguished from the mints. 



A water willow, Dianthera crassifolia, occasionally found 

 in low grounds, is eight to twenty inches tall, with smooth, 

 narrow, fleshy leaves, two to six inches long, and few- 



