ACANTHUS, bears-breach, or brank-urine, in botany, a genus of plants belonging to the didynamia angiospermia class. There are only five species of this plant, all of which are natives either of Italy or the Indies. For its figure, which is extremely beautiful, see plate I. fig. 3. The leaves of the acanthus are famous for having given rise to the capital of the Corinthian order of architecture.