Acanthaceae herb for id 020211MK1

[Muthu Karthick]

Dear all,

Kindly help to id this big herb found in a garden planted at Ooty town, Nilgiris.

Date/Time-	24-01-2011 / 08:40 AM
Location- Place, Altitude, GP	ca.2200asl; Ooty, TN
Habitat- Garden/ Urban/ Wild/ Type-	garden
Plant Habit-	herb
Height/Length-	c 1 M
Leaves Type/ Shape/ Size-	ca.25 x 20 cm; stiff leaf with thorny margins
Inflorescence Type/ Size-	raceme; 20-30cm longer
Flowers Size/ Colour/ Calyx/ Bracts-	white; c. 5 X 2 cm
Fruits Type/ Shape/ Size Seeds-
Other Information like Fragrance, Pollinator, Uses etc.-

--
Muthu Karthick, N
Junior Research Fellow
Care Earth Trust

#15, second main road,

Thillai ganga nagar,
Chennai - 600 061

Mob: 09626833911
www.careearthtrust.org

[Gurcharan Singh]

I think Acanthus montanus. I had seen it growing in California

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[tanay bose]

Acanthus montanus I also predict 

Tanay

--

Tanay Bose

Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant.
Department of Botany.
University of British Columbia .
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[Muthu Karthick]

Many thanks for the identification Singhji and Tanayji. 

The plant is Acanthus mollis L. [Acanthaceae] as per http://tropicos.org/Image/100106251

--
Muthu Karthick, N

[Muthu Karthick]

or could this be Acanthus spinosus L. as in http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Bear's%20Breeches.html

[Gurcharan Singh]

Muthu ji

A. mollis does not have spiny bracts. Your photograph shows clear spiny margined bracts and leaf segments

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[Gurcharan Singh]

Muthu ji

The plant at FOI is perhaps wrongly identified as A. spinosus

A. mollis has leaves less deeply divided without spinose teeth, bracts and calyx teeth are are not spinose, calyx lobes hairy along margin

In both A. montanus and  A. spinosus (syn: A. spinosissimus) the leaf lobes and bracts are spinose.

In A. montanus leaves are glossy green above, less deeply pinnatifid; In A. spinosus the leaves are rigid, leathery, deeply pinnatifid with rigid spinose teeth.

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Acanthaceae/Acanthus_spinosus.html

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/209106/

Obviously both your plant as one on FOI is A. montanus

http://www.botany.com/acanthus.html

Needless to say that there is terrible mix up of photographs on the internet.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[Muthu Karthick]

Many thanks for showing taxonomic light sir. 

Mob: 0091 96268 33911
www.careearthtrust.org

[JM Garg]

I think images match well with Acanthus mollis as per the following:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c937

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthus_mollis

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=15

http://www.finegardening.com/bears-breeches-acanthus-mollis

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/177/

Muthu's images do not match with images of A. montanus as per the following:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthus_montanus

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55133/

http://www.stuartxchange.com/MountainThistle.html

I have to correct the efi page on A. montanus accordingly.

[Gurcharan Singh]

Yes Acanthus mollis.

Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089

http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ 
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Singh ji.

--

With regards,
J.M.Garg

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