Brillantaisia is a genus of plants in the family Acanthaceae. They are native to the African tropics and subtropics, including Madagascar.[1] They may grow from 20 cm to 2 m in height. Their hirsute stems are square in cross-section and their heart-shaped leaves have an opposite arrangement. Their purple or white pea-like flowers produce long, cigar-shaped seed pods.[2] They reproduce easily from seeds or vegetatively. One species, B. lamium, is invasive in Queensland.[2]
Species
It contains some 17 species,[3] including:
Brillantaisia borellii Lindau
Brillantaisia cicatricosa Lindau
Brillantaisia debilis Burkill
Brillantaisia didynama Lindau
Brillantaisia fulva Lindau
Brillantaisia grandidentata S.Moore
Brillantaisia lamium Benth.
Brillantaisia lancifolia Lindau
Brillantaisia madagascariensis T.Anderson ex Lindau
Brillantaisia majestica Wernham
Brillantaisia oligantha Milne-Redh.
Brillantaisia owariensis P.Beauv.
Brillantaisia pubescens T. Anderson ex Oliv.
