''Aphelandra'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of about 170 species 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 family

Acanthaceae Acanthaceae is a family (the acanthus family) of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are tropical herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epiphytes. Only a few species are distributed in te ...

, native to tropical 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

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s growing to tall, with opposite, simple

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

long, often with white veins. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are produced in dense spikes, with brightly coloured

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s. Several species are grown as

houseplant A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...

s for their patterned leaves and brightly coloured inflorescences.

Pharmacological activity

Pharmacological reports on genus Aphelandra are Antibacterial activity, Antifungal activity and Immunomodulatory activity.

Phytochemistry

Phytochemical reports on genus Aphelandra are

Alkaloids Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar st ...

Flavonoids Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

Isoflavones Isoflavones are substituted derivatives of isoflavone, a type of naturally occurring isoflavonoids, many of which act as phytoestrogens in mammals. Isoflavones are produced almost exclusively by the members of the bean family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae) ...

, Benzoxazinoids-cyclic hydroxamic acid and their corresponding glucosides.

Selected species

*'' Aphelandra albinotata'' *'' Aphelandra anderssonii'' *'' Aphelandra attenuata'' *'' Aphelandra aurantiaca'' (Scheidw.) Lindl. **Synonyms - '' Aphelandra fascinator'', '' Aphelandra nitens'' Aphelandra aurantiaca
/ref> *'' Aphelandra azuayensis'' *'' Aphelandra bahiensis'' (Nees) Wassh. *'' Aphelandra chamissoniana'' Nees *'' Aphelandra chrysantha'' *'' Aphelandra cinnabarina'' *'' Aphelandra claussenii'' Wassh. *'' Aphelandra colorata'' (Vell. Conc.) Wassh. *'' Aphelandra deppeana'' *'' Aphelandra dodsonii'' *'' Aphelandra galba'' *'' Aphelandra guayasii'' *'' Aphelandra gunnari'' *'' Aphelandra harleyi'' Wassh. *'' Aphelandra harlingii'' *'' Aphelandra ignea'' (Schrader) Nees ex Steudel *'' Aphelandra lineariloba'' Leonard *'' Aphelandra madrensis'' Lindau *'' Aphelandra marginata'' Nees & Martius *'' Aphelandra maximiliana'' (Nees) Benth *'' Aphelandra mirabilis'' Rizzini *'' Aphelandra neesiana'' Wassh. *'' Aphelandra nemoralis'' Nees *'' Aphelandra loxensis'' *'' Aphelandra nuda'' Nees *'' Aphelandra obtusa'' (Nees) Wassh. *'' Aphelandra obtusifolia'' (Nees) Wassh. *'' Aphelandra paulensis'' Wassh. *'' Aphelandra phaina'' *'' Aphelandra phrynioides'' Lindau *'' Aphelandra rigida'' *'' Aphelandra ruellia'' *'' Aphelandra sinclairiana'' Nees - Coral aphelandra *'' Aphelandra squarrosa'' - Zebra plant *''

Aphelandra stephanophysa ''Aphelandra stephanophysa'' is a plant species in the family Acanthaceae, which is native to Atlantic Forest vegetation of Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl F ...

'' *'' Aphelandra sulphurea'' *'' Aphelandra tetragona'' (Vahl) Nees *'' Aphelandra tridentata'' *'' Aphelandra zamorensis''

References

Acanthaceae genera Flora of Pakistan {{Acanthaceae-stub