Philippine Violet

Small shrubs or suffrutices. Leaves opposite. Flowers usually in cymes, or solitary and axillary, or in terminal spikes or heads with reduced leaves; bracts and bracteoles sometimes spiny. Calyx 4-partite; segments unequal, leaf-like or membranous, sometimes spiny, the two outer enclosing the inner. Corolla ± actinomorphic, 4-5-lobed or ± 2-lipped, with a tubular base; lobes obovate, sometimes unequal. Stamens 2 or 4, not didynamous. Ovary 2-locular with 2 ovules per loculus. Capsule solid in upper part; seeds flat with hygroscopic hairs.

Barleria is a genus of plants in the family Acanthaceae.

Some species include:

Barleria acanthoides Vahl Barleria aculeata Balf.f. Barleria albostellata C.B.Clarke, the grey barleria Barleria compacta Malombe & I.Darbysh. Barleria cristata L., the crested Philippine violet Barleria elegans S.Moore Barleria greenii M.&K.Balkwill, Green's barleria Barleria lupulina Lindl., the hop-headed barleria or snake bush Barleria micans Nees Barleria mysorensis B.Heyne ex Roth Barleria observatrix Bosser & Heine Barleria obtusa Nees, the bush violet Barleria opaca (Vahl) Nees Barleria popovii Verdc. Barleria pretoriensis C.B.Clarke Barleria prionitis L., the porcupine flower Barleria repens Nees, the small bush violet Barleria rotundifolia Oberm. Barleria siamensis Craib Barleria strigosa Willd. Barleria tetracantha Balf.f.