Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha alopecuroidea

Acalypha californica

foxtail copperleaf

California acalypha, California copperleaf, heirba del cancer, Pringle threeseed Mercury
Habit Herbs, annual, 2–6 dm, monoecious. Shrubs, 5–10 dm, monoecious.
Stems

erect, short-pubescent and stipitate-glandular.

erect, hirsute and stipitate-glandular, becoming glabrate.
Leaves

petiole 0.5–7 cm, stipitate-glandular;

blade ovate to broadly ovate, 2–8 × 1.5–5 cm, base rounded or subcordate, margins serrate, apex acuminate.

persistent or drought-deciduous;

petiole 0.5–2.5 cm;

blade ovate to cordate, 1–5 × 0.5–4 cm, base truncate to rounded or cordate, margins serrate-crenate, apex acute or obtuse.
Inflorescences

unisexual, axillary (staminate) and terminal (pistillate);

staminate peduncle 0.1–0.6 cm, stipitate-glandular, fertile portion 0.2–0.8 cm;

pistillate peduncle 0.2–1 cm, stipitate-glandular, fertile portion 2–6 × 0.8–1.5 cm;

allomorphic pistillate flowers common, terminal on pistillate or, rarely, staminate inflorescences.

unisexual and bisexual, axillary and terminal;

staminate peduncle 0.3–2.5 cm, fertile portion 1–4 cm;

pistillate peduncle 0.4–3 cm, fertile portion 1–3 × 0.8–1.2 cm;

bisexual similar to staminate, with 1–3 pistillate bracts near base;

allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.
Pedicels

of allomorphic flowers 5–15 mm.

Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate (normal flowers), 1(–2)-carpellate (allomorphic flowers);

styles unbranched or rarely 2-fid.

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent and stipitate-glandular or glabrate;

allomorphic fruits obovoid, 1–1.5 × 0.9–1.2 mm, muricate, hirsute.

smooth, pubescent and stipitate-glandular.
Seeds

1–1.1 mm, minutely pitted.

1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.
Pistillate

bracts (normal flowers) crowded (inflorescence axis not visible between bracts), 8–12 × 3–4 mm, abaxial surface long-hirsute (hairs to 2 mm) and stipitate-glandular;

lobes 3–5, proximally deltate with linear tips, 3/4 bract length, smooth; of allomorphic flowers absent.

bracts loosely arranged (inflorescence axis visible between bracts), 3–6 × 5.5–11 mm, abaxial surface pubescent, sessile- and stipitate-glandular;

lobes (8–)10–18, rounded, 1/5 bract length.
2n

= 20.

Acalypha alopecuroidea

Acalypha californica
Phenology Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting year-round, especially spring and fall.
Habitat Disturbed areas. Arid rocky slopes, desert washes.
Elevation 0–40 m. (0–100 ft.) 10–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; LA; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; n South America [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Acalypha alopecuroidea has been established in the United States since at least the 1950s.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Plants in Arizona and Sonora have been segregated as Acalypha pringlei based on having long nonglandular hairs mixed with shorter hairs on the stem (versus hairs all of one length). This trait appears throughout the range of A. californica and cannot be used to distinguish two species (G. A. Levin 1995).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 167. FNA vol. 12, p. 165.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha
Sibling taxa
A. arvensis, A. australis, A. californica, A. chamaedrifolia, A. deamii, A. gracilens, A. monococca, A. monostachya, A. neomexicana, A. ostryifolia, A. phleoides, A. poiretii, A. radians, A. rhomboidea, A. setosa, A. virginica, A. wilkesiana
A. alopecuroidea, A. arvensis, A. australis, A. chamaedrifolia, A. deamii, A. gracilens, A. monococca, A. monostachya, A. neomexicana, A. ostryifolia, A. phleoides, A. poiretii, A. radians, A. rhomboidea, A. setosa, A. virginica, A. wilkesiana
Synonyms A. pringlei
Name authority Jacquin: Collectanea 3: 196. (1791) Bentham: Bot. Voy. Sulphur, 51. (1844)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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