Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha alopecuroidea

Acalypha radians

foxtail copperleaf

cardinal feather, cardinal's feather, palmate copperleaf
Habit Herbs, annual, 2–6 dm, monoecious. Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, 1.5–4 dm, dioecious.
Stems

erect, short-pubescent and stipitate-glandular.

prostrate to ascending, short-pubescent and hirsute.
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.

petiole 0.4–1.6 cm;

blade reniform or suborbiculate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.8–2 cm, base cordate or rounded, margins deeply crenate, apex rounded.
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, terminal (staminate and pistillate) and axillary (pistillate);

staminate peduncle 0.5–3 cm, fertile portion 1–4(–5) cm;

pistillate peduncle 0.1–0.5 cm, fertile portion 1–2.5 × 0.8–1.2 cm;

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 hirsute.
Seeds

1–1.1 mm, minutely pitted.

1.8–2 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 crowded (inflorescence axis not visible between bracts), 7–10 × 12–16 mm, abaxial surface hirsute, sessile- and stipitate-glandular;

lobes (7–)8–10(–13), spatulate, 1/2 bract length.

Acalypha alopecuroidea

Acalypha radians
Phenology Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Disturbed areas. Grassy openings, dunes, and oak or mesquite woodlands, usually on deep sand.
Elevation 0–40 m. (0–100 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; LA; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; n South America [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Tamaulipas)
[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.)

Acalypha radians is found in the flora area from the Edwards Plateau south to the Mexican border.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 167. FNA vol. 12, p. 166.
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. californica, A. chamaedrifolia, A. deamii, A. gracilens, A. monococca, A. monostachya, A. neomexicana, A. ostryifolia, A. phleoides, A. poiretii, A. rhomboidea, A. setosa, A. virginica, A. wilkesiana
Name authority Jacquin: Collectanea 3: 196. (1791) Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 200. (1859)
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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