Acanthus mollis L.
Bear’s breech
Bear’s Breech is native to the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the north, west, and south.
Plants: Up to 6′ (1.8 m) in height.
Leaves: Dark, shiny, deeply divided, and up to 3′ (91 cm) long and 1′ (30 cm) wide. The leaf shape is the most distinctive characteristic of this species.
Flowers: Lilac-colored or white, on long stalks which grow far above the leaf clusters.
Fruit: A sharply-pointed capsule about ¾″ (2 cm) long, containing one or two brown seeds about ½ ⨉ ¼″ (1.4 cm ⨉ 8 mm).
Habitats: Woodland scrub and stony hillsides.
Photo by Eugene Zelenko, from the Villa Montalvo Botanical Garden in Saratoga, CA, cropped to emphasize leaf shape. 
Photo by Marc Ryckaert. 
Online References:
2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Lamiales | Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary |
| Family | Acanthaceae | Acanthus family, of tropical herbs and shrubs |
| Genus | Acanthus | Means "thorny" |
| Species | mollis | Means “smooth,” for the leaves |
Acanthus mollis description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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