THE ACANTHUS FAMILY 101 



^ 23. The Acanthus Family 



(Acanthaceae). 



Herbs or shrubs, with decussate exstipulate leaves. Flowers zygo- 

 morphic, generally two-lipped, bracteate. Stamens inserted in the 

 corolla, either four (didynamous) or two. Ovary superior, of two car- 

 pels. Fruit a capsule, containing a definite number of seeds and open- 

 ing elastically to eject the seeds. 



The Adhatoda Plant {Adliatocla vasica). 



(Kan. Adusoge. Mai. Atalotakam. Tain. Adadodai. Tel. Addasaramu.) 



1. Use.— An unattractive shrub used for fencing, easily taking 

 root from its nodes. Cattle, even goats, do not browse on it. 

 They dislike its smell and its taste. 



2. Stem and Leaves. — Internodes pretty long and swollen 

 above the nodes. Glabrous leaves opposite, lanceolate, acumin- 

 ate, entire, secondary nerves very prominent. 



The leaves in the long-stalked spikes somewhat different from 

 those below. In many plants, e. g. Hibiscus esculentus, we can 

 observe a gradual decrease in the size of the foliage leaves from 

 below to the top. In some plants the transition is rather abrupt. 

 And such leaves that grow from the peduncle of an inflorescence 

 and from the axils of which flowers or branches of the inflores- 

 cence spring, are termed bracts. Bracts are found in the inflores- 

 cences of most plants, but they may also be absent. In the plants 

 belonging to the Acanthus family they are always present, and 

 here they are commonly large and conspicuous. In the axils of 

 the opposite bracts of Adhatoda we find solitary flowers, each 

 supported by two leaves, which are called bracteoles. 



3. Flowers. — Calyx of five sepals. Corolla white, two-lipped. 

 Upper lip of two petals, curved forward, lower lip of three petals. 

 Estivation imbricate. Nectar-guides consisting of red spots and 

 streaks on the lower lip; nectary at the base of the flower: a 

 •disk round the ovary. Stamens two, epipetalous, overhanging, 

 with their anther cells unequal in size and one slightly below 

 the other. 



