A member of the genus Acanthus of herbaceous prickly plants with toothed leaves, (family Acanthaceae, order Scrophulariales) found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India
A Mediterranean plant The leaves are thick, fleshy, and scalloped A stylization of the acanthus leaf began in Greek and Roman decoration, especially on the Corinthian capital
A common plant in the Mediterranean area The leafs were used as decoration in Greek and Roman sculpture and architectural decoration, with the Corinthian capital as the foremost example
a thistle species very common in the Mediterranean Its large, jagged leaves, curving in slightly at the tips, have been a favorite ornamental pattern since classical antiquity
A plant with thick, fleshy, scalloped leaves used as a decorative motif on carved ornaments of Corinthian and Composite capitals, and on other moldings
(1) A group of Mediterranean, Asian, and African plants with large, spiny leaves; hence, (2) ornament that resembles the leaves of the species Acanthus spinosus
A Stylized leaf motif, one of the primary decorative elements of classical architecture With its origins in Greece, it was adopted by Romans and transmitted into the general classical tradition
any plant of the genus Acanthus having large spiny leaves and spikes or white or purplish flowers; native to Mediterranean region but widely cultivated
a Mediterranean aromatic plant, the frayed and curled leaves of which were used as a decorative model throughout antiquity (on Corinthian capitals) Forming a recurrent decorative theme of the Romanesque era
An architectural decoration, derived from the shape of the leaves of the southern European acanthus plant, as in Corinthian and Composite column capitals and other moldings
A genus of herbaceous prickly plants with toothed leaves, (family Acanthaceae, order Scrophulariales) found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India; includes bears breech
Any of the more than 2,500 plant species that make up the family Acanthaceae, of the figwort order. Acanthus are found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. Most are herbaceous plants or shrubs that grow in tropical rainforests; some are climbers (vines) or trees. Acanthus have simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs on the twigs and enlarged cells called cystoliths in streaks or protuberances in the vegetative parts. The bisexual flowers are bilaterally symmetrical and usually crowded together in clusters. Individual flowers are enclosed by leaflike bracts, which are often coloured and large. Acanthus are mainly of horticultural interest and include some ornamentals