''Acanthogilia'' is a genus with a single species of desert shrub from

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

, Mexico. It was first scientifically described as a genus in 1986.

Classification

Its closest relatives within the family

Polemoniaceae The Polemoniaceae (Jacob's-ladder or phlox family) are a family of flowering plants consisting of about 25 genera with 270–400 species of annuals and perennials native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity ...

are not clear. Some evidence suggests it was first to diverge from the ancestral member of that family, some puts it in a group with ''

Bonplandia ''Bonplandia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Polemoniaceae The Polemoniaceae (Jacob's-ladder or phlox family) are a family of flowering plants consisting of about 25 genera with 270–400 species of annuals and peren ...

'', ''

Cobaea ''Cobaea'' is a genus of flowering plants including about 20 species of rapid growing, ornamental climbers whose native range extends from Mexico to Peru. The botanical name honors Father Bernabé Cobo Padre Bernabé Cobo (born at Lopera in Sp ...

'', and ''

Cantua ''Cantua'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Polemoniaceae which is in the order Ericales. They are restricted to central South America where many species are endemics in the countries of occurrence. There are currently about 12 rec ...

'', and some say that those three genera diverged first, followed by ''Acanthogilia'' (followed by the rest of the family).Polemoniaceae. Phlox Family.
''Tree of Life'', by Leigh Johnson, updated 2 January 2009

References

Polemoniaceae Monotypic Ericales genera Polemoniaceae genera {{Polemoniaceae-stub