Acanthaceae & Labiatae family characteristics and plants list
Acanthaceae
Systematic position
Bentham and Hooker placed the natural order
Acanthaceae under the cohort Personnales, series bi-Carpellatae, Subclass Gamopetalae, and the class dicotyledons.
Cronquist placed the family Acanthaceae under the order the same as Scrophularia.
Family Characteristics
| Habit | plants herbs or shrubs ( tree – Strobilanthes sp.), Stem, or branches with swollen nodes. |
| Leaves | simple, opposite, decussate, exstipulate |
| Inflorescence | cymose or racemose |
| Flowers | bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous with a prominent bract. Calyx-: sepals 5, gamosepalous, unequal. Corolla-: petals 5, gamopetalous, Bilabiate, imbricate |
| Androecium | stamens 4, didynamous, epipetalous; anthers spurred and hairy. |
| Gynoecium | carpels 2, ovary unlobed, superior, 2 chambered, 2 or more anatropous ovule in each chamber, placentation axile; style 1, terminal; stigma shortly bilobed |
| Fruit | capsule |
| Seed | attached to a hook-like spurred appendage like structure called jaculator or retinacula |
| Embryo | curved |
Plants list
| Name | Adhatoda vasica |
| Parts | leaves |
| Uses | remedy for cough |
| Name | Andrographis paniculata |
| Parts | leaves |
| Uses | remedy for liver troubles |
| Name | Hygrophila Spinosa |
| Part | plant |
| Uses | remedy for liver problems |
| Name | Ecbolium viride |
| Parts | root |
| Uses | remedy for jaundice |
| Name | Justicia pectoralis |
| Parts | plant |
| Uses | remedy for lung trouble |
Acanthaceae & Labiatae family characteristics and plants list
Labiatae (i.e Lamiaceae)
Systematic position
Bentham and Hooker placed
Labiatae as natural order under the cohort Lamiales, series Bi-carpellatae, subclass Gamopetalae, and class dicotyledons.
Cronquist placed the family Lamiaceae under the order Lamiales, subclass Asteridae, class Magnoliopsida.
Family Characteristics
| Habit | Aromatic herbs or shrubs with square stem covered with glandular hairs |
| Leaves | opposite, decussate, simple, exstipulate |
| Inflorescence | verticillaster |
| Flower | bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous |
| Calyx | sepals 5, gamosepalous, irregular, persistent |
| Corolla | petals 5, Gamopetalous, Bilabiate, imbricate |
| Androecium | stamens 4, didynamous, epipetalous |
| Gynoecium | carpels 2, syncarpous, ovary superior, deeply 4 lobed and 4 chambered; 1 ovule in each chamber, placentation axile, style – gynobasic, stigma bifid |
| Fruit | carcerule (1 seeded 4 nutlets) |
Plants list
| Name | Ocimum sanctum |
| Parts | leaves |
| Uses | medicine |
| Name | Ocimum kilimandscharicum |
| Parts | leaves |
| Uses | camphor |
| Name | Mentha piperita |
| Parts | leaves |
| Uses | menthol (preparation of medicine) |
| Name | Thymus vulgaris |
| Parts | leaves |
| Uses | Thymol (preparation of medicine) |
| Name | Rosmarinus officinalis |
| Parts | leaves and flowering top |
| Uses | rosemary oil |
| Name | Lavandula officinalis |
| Parts | flower |
| Uses | lavender oil used in perfume |
| Name | Ocimum basilicum |
| Parts | seed |
| Uses | ‘Topmari’ (used in making a poultice for curing boils) |
