Acanthacea
/ˌækənˈθeɪsiə/noun
A historical taxonomic name associated with the plant family now generally called Acanthaceae, the acanthus family.
Did you know?The family name ultimately invokes the acanthus plant, whose thornlike leaves inspired the ornate acanthus motif carved into classical Greek and Roman architecture.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ek-
“Sharp, pointed, or piercing”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ákantha (ἄκανθα)
“A thorn, spine, or thorny plant”
Classical Latin
Latin
acantha
“A thorny plant; acanthus”
18th Century
New Latin
Acanthus
“The botanical genus named for the thorny acanthus plant”
18th–19th Century
Botanical Latin
Acanthacea
“A taxonomic form referring to the acanthus family”
Modern English
English
Acanthaceae
“The accepted family name for the acanthus family of flowering plants”