Group:
1 Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) - I - Dicotyledons
Family:
Acanthaceae
Genus:
Acanthus
Common sinhala name:
Katu Ikiliya, කටු ඉකිලි
Habit:
Shrub or Large perennial herb, -150 cm.
Origin:
Native
National conservation status:
LC - Least Concerned
Legal status:
Not protected
Similar species:
All vernacular names:
Ikiliya, Ikiri, ඉකිළි (Sinhala), Harikasa (Sanskrit), Attumulli/Kaludaimulli/Kolimulli (Tamil), Sea holly / Holly leaved (English)
Contributors for Images:
Aruna Yasapalitha (ID-AY), Tithira Lakkana (ID-TL)-FlowerSL (ID-PMR) Jacob de Vlas (ID-JdV) Sanjeewa Rupasinghe (ID-SR) - IDA 100%
Flowering Mar-Apr, Sep., Flowers about 2.8 cm across the lower lip, 4.4 cm long, in spikes of about 15 cm long.
Leaves -9 cm long and -4 cm wide. Leaf margins with up- and downward pointing teeth that end with hard, sharp prickles.
Mangrove swamps, along banks of estuaries and lagoons, in brackish wet places near the seashore. (JdV)
Along the coasts of Southeast Asia and North Australia.