2A00:23C5:8D98:E201:9507:8B0C:A381:565A at 00:30, 3 November 2022

2022-11-03T00:30:38Z

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{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Bear's breeches
| image = Acanthaceae - Acanthus mollis (2).JPG
| image_caption = Inflorescence of ''Acanthus mollis''
| genus = Acanthus
| species = mollis
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| synonyms =
* ''Acanthus hispanicus'' [[John Claudius Loudon|Loudon]]
* ''Acanthus latifolius'' [[Edmund Goeze|E.Goeze]]
* ''Acanthus longifolius'' Poir.
* ''Acanthus lusitanicus'' [[Auctorum|auct.]]
* ''Acanthus niger'' [[Mill.]]
* ''Acanthus platyphyllus'' [[Murb.]]
* ''Acanthus spinosissimus'' [[Nicolaus Thomas Host|Host]] [[nom. illeg.]]
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2615276
|title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species
|access-date=18 December 2014}}</ref>
}}
[[File:126 rue de rivoli Paris 2012 07.jpg|thumb|Capital of a [[Corinthian order|Corinthian]] pilaster in [[Paris]]]]

'''''Acanthus mollis''''', commonly known as '''bear's breeches''', '''sea dock''',<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | accessdate=18 December 2014}}</ref> '''bear's foot plant''', '''sea holly''', '''gator plant''' or '''oyster plant''',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weedbusters.org.nz/weed-information/weed-list/bears-breeches/|title = Weed Information Sheet}}</ref> is a species of plant in the family [[Acanthaceae]] and is native to the [[Mediterranean region]]. It is a leafy, clump-forming [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[Herbaceous plant|herb]], with a [[Rosette (botany)|rosette]] of relatively large, lobed or toothed leaves, and purplish and white flowers on an erect spike.

==Description==
''Acanthus mollis'' is a leafy, clump-forming perennial herb with [[tuber]]ous roots. It has a basal rosette of dark glossy green, lobed or divided, [[wikt:glabrous|glabrous]] leaves {{cvt|50|cm}} long and {{cvt|30|cm}} wide on a [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]] {{cvt|20–30|cm}} long. The flowers are borne on an erect spike up to {{cvt|200|cm}} tall emerging from the leaf rosette. The [[sepal]]s are purplish and function as the upper and lower lips of the petals, the upper lip about {{cvt|4|cm}} long and the lower lip {{cvt|3|cm}} long. The petals are about {{cvt|4–4.5|cm}} long and form a tube with a ring of hairs where the [[stamen]]s are attached. Flowering occurs in summer and the fruit is a sharply-pointed [[Capsule (botany)|capsule]] about {{cvt|2|cm}} long containing one or two brown seeds about {{cvt|14|mm}} long and {{cvt|8|mm}} wide.<ref name="RBGS">{{cite web |last1=Conn |first1=Barry J. |title=''Acanthus mollis'' |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&showsyn=&dist=&constat=&lvl=sp&name=Acanthus~mollis |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Sydney |access-date=8 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="NZPCN">{{cite web |title=''Acanthus mollis'' |url=https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/acanthus-mollis/ |publisher=New Zealand Plant Conservation Network |access-date=8 October 2020}}</ref>

==Taxonomy and naming==
''Acanthus mollis'' was first formally described in 1753 by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in his book ''[[Species Plantarum]]''.<ref name="L.">{{cite book |last1=Linnaeus |first1=Carl |title=''Species Plantarum'' |date=1753 |publisher=Junk, 1908 |location=Berlin |page=639 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/84236#page/85/mode/1up |access-date=8 October 2020}}</ref>
The name of the genus derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] name of the plant {{lang|grc|ἄκανθος}} ''ákanthos''; it was imitated in [[Corinthian capitals]]. This {{lang|grc|ἄκανθος}} ''ákanthos'' is related to {{lang|grc|ἄκανθα}} ''ákantha'' meaning "thorn" referring to the thorn-bearing [[sepals]], or any thorny or prickly plant in Greek.<ref>{{LSJ|a)/kanqos|ἄκανθος}}</ref><ref>{{LSJ|a)/kanqa|ἄκανθα|ref}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=άκανθος|url=http://www.greek-language.gr/greekLang/modern_greek/tools/lexica/triantafyllides/search.html?lq=%CE%AC%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B8%CE%BF%CF%82&dq=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=el:άκανθος|url=http://www.greek-language.gr/greekLang/modern_greek/tools/lexica/triantafyllides/search.html?lq=%CE%AC%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B8%CE%B1&dq=|language=el|publisher=Centre for the Greek Language|title = Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek}}</ref><ref>{{OEtymD|acanthus}}</ref>
The [[Latin]] name of the species, ''mollis'' meaning "soft, smooth", refers to the texture of the leaves.<ref>{{L&S|mollis|ref}}</ref>

==Distribution and ecology==
Although native to the eastern and central Mediterranean,<ref>{{cite web |title=Acanthus mollis |url=http://www.floraiberica.es/floraiberica/texto/pdfs/14_07%20acanthus.pdf |publisher=[[Flora Iberica]] |access-date=29 April 2022}}</ref> ''Acanthus mollis'' has spread throughout much of western Europe and certain parts of the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, where it is regarded as [[invasive species|invasive]].<ref name="NZPCN" /><ref>[http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/080c0106-040c-4508-8300-0b0a06060e01/media/Html/Acanthus_mollis.htm Weeds of Australia, Biosecurity Queensland edition: Bear's breeches, ''Acanthus mollis''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402165255/http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/080c0106-040c-4508-8300-0b0a06060e01/media/Html/Acanthus_mollis.htm |date=April 2, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=''Acanthus mollis'' L.; Sp. Pl.: 939 [639] (1753) |url=https://www.worldplants.de/world-plants-complete-list/complete-plant-list/?name=Acanthus-mollis#g- |website=www.worldplants.de |access-date=29 April 2022}}</ref>

''Acanthus mollis'' is [[entomophilous]], pollinated only by bees or bumble bees large enough to force their way between the upper sepal and the lower, so that they can reach the nectar at the bottom of the tube.

==Use in horticulture==
These plants are usually propagated from [[tubers]] and tend to form large, localized clumps which can survive for several decades and look statuesque when well-grown, but its suitability as a garden plant is lessened on account of its [[invasive species|invasive]] nature (new plants are produced readily both from seed and portions of root) and its susceptibility to attacks from slugs and snails.<ref name="Missouri">{{cite web |title=''Acanthus mollis'' |url=https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=275338&isprofile=0& |publisher=Missouri Botanic Garden |access-date=8 October 2020}}</ref>

==Cultural depiction==
The shape of the leaf of this plant inspired the ancient Greek sculptor [[Callimachus (sculptor)|Callimachus]] (5th c. BCE) to model the [[Capital (architecture)|capital]] of the Corinthian column. Since then, the [[Corinthian order]] column has been used extensively in [[Greco-Roman]]<ref>and has been described by Vitruvius. ''On Architecture''. [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Vitruvius/4*.html Book IV].</ref> and [[Classical architecture]]. For centuries, stone or bronze stylized versions of acanthus leaves have appeared as [[Acanthus (ornament)|acanthus]] decorations on certain styles of architecture and furniture.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Philippa |last1=Lewis |first2=Gillian |last2=Darley |year=1986 |title=Dictionary of Ornament |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryoforna00phil |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Pantheon |page=not cited|isbn=9780394509310 }}</ref> [[Virgil]] described [[Helen of Troy]] as wearing a dress embroidered with ''Acanthus'' leaves.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/3324985/How-to-grow-Acanthus.html|title = How to grow: Acanthus}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Acanthus mollis5.jpg|Habit
File:Acanthaceae - Acanthus mollis-2.JPG|Close-up of stamens
File:Acanthus_mollis_flower.JPG|Lateral view
File:2007-07-13Acanthus09.jpg|Fruit
File:AcanthusmollisPalatineHill.jpg|Flowering plant in the ruins of the [[Palatine Hill]], [[Rome]]
File:Acanthus_mollis_inflorescence.JPG|Inflorescence
File:Acanthaceae - Acanthus mollis.JPG|Leaf
File:Acanthus mollis MHNT.BOT.2007.43.58.jpg|Fruit and seeds
File:Bear's breeches at BBG (50819).jpg|inflorescence
File:Acanthus mollis flower parts text.jpg|Dismembered flower
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* The Introduced Flora of Australia and its Weed Status, by R.P.Randall, Department of Agriculture and Food, [[Western Australia]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20120504105203/http://www.weeds.org.au/docs/intro_flora_australia.pdf]
* [https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id62339/ Biolib]
* [http://www.floradecanarias.com/acanthus_mollis.html ''Acanthus mollis'' in the Canary Islands]
* [http://www.maltawildplants.com/ACNT/Acanthus_mollis.php Malta Wild Plants]

{{Commons}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q136648}}

[[Category:Acanthus (plant)|mollis]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Europe]]
[[Category:National symbols of Greece]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Africa]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Flora of Malta]]

Acanthus mollis - Revision history

2A00:23C5:8D98:E201:9507:8B0C:A381:565A at 00:30, 3 November 2022