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Useful Tropical Plants

Acanthus ilicifolius

L.

Acanthaceae

+ Synonyms

Acanthus doloarin Blanco

Acanthus neoguineensis Engl.

Dilivaria ilicifolia (L.) Juss.

Common Name:

Acanthus ilicifolius
Flowering branch. Note these leaves, growing in deeper shade, are free of prickles
Photograph by: Fagg M.; Australian National Botanic Gardens
Creative Commons License
Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthus ilicifolius

General Information

Acanthus ilicifolius is an erect or reclining shrub growing from 50 - 200cm tall with scarcely branched stems that often produce adventitious aerial roots[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
582
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/mplants.html
Publisher
Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site from the Philippines Department of Agriculture, giving information in a readable way on the medicinal uses of many plants in their area.
]. The leaves have spiny edges when the plants are growing in an open position, but can be totally spineless when growing in the shade[
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and material for making soap.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Asia - near the shoreline from southern India and Sri Lanka through tropical Asia to New Guinea and northern Australia

Habitat

A gregarious plant that is very common along the banks of estuaries and lagoons, and in marshy land and mangroves close to the seashore. It is rarely found inland[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]..

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height1.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics, where it is found at near the shoreline in areas with no dry season or with a short dryseason. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 26°c, but can tolerate 15 - 32°c[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 3,000mm[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
Prefers a position in full sun, tolerating some shade[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Grows best in heavier soils of moderate to high fertility[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Tolerant of flooding and of quite high levels of salt in the soil[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].Prefers a pH in the range 6.8 - 7.2, tolerating 6.5 - 7.5[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
The plant sometimes forms a dense undergrowth in mangrove swamps that can be troublesome in wood-cutting operations[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
The plants do not exclude salt at the root level. In fact, their sap is salty and excess salt is secreted through the leaves, to be removed by rain or wind. Sometimes, the salt can be seen as a white crystalline layer on the upper surface[
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].
When the seedpods ripen, they open explosively to propel the seeds up to 2 metres away[
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The aerial parts of the plant are rich in mucous and are considered to be astringent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, resolvent, stimulant and nervine[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
582
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/mplants.html
Publisher
Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site from the Philippines Department of Agriculture, giving information in a readable way on the medicinal uses of many plants in their area.
]. A porridge from them is taken as a remedy for bowel complaints[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. The young leaves, combined with cinnamon bark, are chewed as a remedy for colic[
1578
Title
Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
Publication
 
Author
Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
Publisher
MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
Year
1980
ISBN
0-262-16076-5
Description
A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
]. The leaves, crushed in water, are drunk to ease the birth process - this solution can also be drunk before an operation[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Applied topically, the leaves are used as a poultice on wounds, rheumatic joints and areas of neuralgic pain[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
582
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/mplants.html
Publisher
Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site from the Philippines Department of Agriculture, giving information in a readable way on the medicinal uses of many plants in their area.
]. The tender shoots and leaves are used to ease the pain of a bite, including snake bites[
582
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/mplants.html
Publisher
Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site from the Philippines Department of Agriculture, giving information in a readable way on the medicinal uses of many plants in their area.
,
1578
Title
Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
Publication
 
Author
Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
Publisher
MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
Year
1980
ISBN
0-262-16076-5
Description
A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
]. Combined with ginger, the leaves are ground and put on sore legs[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

The stem and leaves are believed to promote longevity[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

A decoction of the leaves and roots is used as a treatment for asthma[
582
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/mplants.html
Publisher
Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site from the Philippines Department of Agriculture, giving information in a readable way on the medicinal uses of many plants in their area.
,
1578
Title
Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
Publication
 
Author
Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
Publisher
MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
Year
1980
ISBN
0-262-16076-5
Description
A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
].

The root is expectorant and febrifuge. It is used in the treatment of chronic fevers, coughs, asthma and paralysis[
582
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/mplants.html
Publisher
Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site from the Philippines Department of Agriculture, giving information in a readable way on the medicinal uses of many plants in their area.
,
1578
Title
Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
Publication
 
Author
Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
Publisher
MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
Year
1980
ISBN
0-262-16076-5
Description
A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
]. When boiled in milk, it is largely used in the treatment of leucorrhoea and general debility[
582
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/mplants.html
Publisher
Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site from the Philippines Department of Agriculture, giving information in a readable way on the medicinal uses of many plants in their area.
]. A paste of the root combined with ginger is eaten as a treatment for colic and stitch in the side[
1578
Title
Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
Publication
 
Author
Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
Publisher
MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
Year
1980
ISBN
0-262-16076-5
Description
A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
].
Applied topically, the leaves are used as a poultice on wounds, rheumatic joints and areas of neuralgic pain[310,The roots are chewed and laid on wounds caused by poison arrows; combined with a little ginger, they are ground and used as a poultice on swollen legs[
1578
Title
Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
Publication
 
Author
Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
Publisher
MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
Year
1980
ISBN
0-262-16076-5
Description
A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
].

Other Uses

The ashes of the burnt plant are used as a lye for making soap[
582
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/mplants.html
Publisher
Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site from the Philippines Department of Agriculture, giving information in a readable way on the medicinal uses of many plants in their area.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-06. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Acanthus+ilicifolius>

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