acanthus family: Meaning and Definition of

acan'thus fam'ily

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the plant family Acanthaceae, typified by tropical herbaceous plants and shrubs having simple opposite leaves, clusters of tubular bracted flowers, and seeds sometimes dispersed by exploding fruit, including the acanthus, caricature, and shrimp plant.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.