''Anisacanthus'' is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the
bear's breeches family,
Acanthaceae. The generic name is derived from the
Greek words ανισος (''anisos''), meaning "unequal," and ακανθος (''acanthos''), meaning "thorn."
Members of the genus are native to
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
and
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
regions of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
. They are commonly known as desert honeysuckles,
though this term is shared with the genus ''
Ancistranthus
''Ancistranthus'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Acanthaceae.
Its native range is Cuba.
Species:
* ''Ancistranthus harpochiloides
''Ancistranthus'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Acanthaceae
...
'', and is something of a misnomer as true honeysuckles (genus ''
Lonicera'') belong to the family
Caprifoliaceae
The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species, in 33, to 42 genera, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and ea ...
. ''Anisacanthus'' species are sometimes cultivated for use in
xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is the process of Garden design, landscaping, or gardening, that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation. It is promoted in regions that do not have accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water and has gained accep ...
.
Species
References
External links
Acanthaceae
Acanthaceae genera
{{Acanthaceae-stub