ACANTHACEAE

The Acanthaceae plants, which I fondly refer to as Acans, is a Family that I love because of their colourful bracts which are often more showy than their flowers. Two of the representatives here are Justicia brandegeeana and Ruellia colorata.

The characteristics of plants from this Family are:

• opposite leaves
• inflorescence with zygomorphic (bilateral symmetry) flowers and showy bracts
• 4 stamens
• seed pod with hooks
• estipulate

BIGNONIACEAE

Unlike the Melastomataceae plants, these are plants from the Bignoniaceae Family. They are Thunbergia erecta, Radermachera "Kunming" and Jacaranda obtusifolia and some of the typical characteristics are:

• opposite leaves
• trumpet-shaped flower with a fused corolla
• zygomorphic (bilateral symmetry) flower 2+3
• 2 or 4 stamens
• winged seed
• estipulate

MELASTOMATACEAE

These are all plants from the Melastomataceae Family - Clidemia hirta, Dissotis rotundifolia, Medinilla and Memecylon caeruleum.

Some of the characteristics of plants from this Family are as follows although there will always be exceptions:

• opposite or decussate leaves
• 3-5 veined leaves
• actinomorphic (radial symmetry) 5 petaled flowers
• stamens double the number of petals
• stamens with horns, knobs
• fruit is a berry
• estipulate