Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 26, 2026

Mackaya

Mackaya is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, disjunctly distributed in South Africa and the eastern Himalayas, Southeast Asia, and China. It is sister to Asystasia.

Last revised
Jul 26, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
207 w
Citations
5
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Mackaya
Mackaya bella
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Subfamily: Acanthoideae
Tribe: Justicieae
Genus: Mackaya
Harv. (1859), nom. cons.1
Species

5, see text

Mackaya is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, disjunctly distributed in South Africa and the eastern Himalayas, Southeast Asia, and China.2 It is sister to Asystasia.3

Species

Currently accepted species include:2

  • Mackaya atroviridis (T.Anderson) Das
  • Mackaya bella Harv.
  • Mackaya indica (Nees) Ensermu
  • Mackaya macrocarpa (Nees) Das
  • Mackaya neesiana (Wall.) Das

Cultivation

Some species are cultivated as ornamental plants. Mackaya bella from South Africa, a small evergreen shrub with purple-veined white flowers, has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.4 It is only hardy down to 10 °C (50 °F), so in temperate zones requires protection during the winter months.

References

References

  1. Thes. Cap. 1: 8 (1859)
  2. "Mackaya Kuntze". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  3. Deng, Yunfei; Wu (Wu Chengyih), Zhengyi (2009). "A New Combination in Mackaya (Acanthaceae), with Lectotypification for Mackaya tapingensis". Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature. 19 (3): 307–309. doi:10.3417/2007009. S2CID 83547610.
  4. "Mackaya bella". www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 10 November 2020.