Mackaya Explained

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.[1]

Species

Currently accepted species include:[2]

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.[3] It is only hardy down to 10C, so in temperate zones requires protection during the winter months.

Notes and References

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