Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha californica

Acalypha deamii

California acalypha, California copperleaf, heirba del cancer, Pringle threeseed Mercury

Deam's threeseed Mercury, largeseed Mercury
Habit Shrubs, 5–10 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 3–7 dm, monoecious.
Stems

erect, hirsute and stipitate-glandular, becoming glabrate.

erect, glabrate.
Leaves

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.

petiole 2.5–7 cm;

blade ovate to broadly rhombic, 4–12 × 2–7 cm, base obtuse, margins serrate, apex acute to acuminate.
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.

bisexual, axillary;

peduncle 0.1–0.6 cm, pistillate portion 0.8–1.5 × 1–2 cm or pistillate bract solitary, staminate portion 0.3–0.7 cm;

allomorphic pistillate flowers common, solitary in axils near base of stem.
Pedicels

of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.

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

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent and stipitate-glandular.

smooth, pubescent;

allomorphic fruits obovoid, 2.5–3 × 1.8–2 mm, spiny, pubescent.
Seeds

1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.

2.4–3.2 mm, shallowly pitted.
Pistillate

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.

bracts (normal flowers) loosely arranged to crowded (inflorescence axis clearly to scarcely visible between bracts) or solitary, 8–16 × 11–20 mm, abaxial surface sparsely pubescent and usually stipitate-glandular;

lobes (5–)7–9, lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 1/2–3/4 bract length; of allomorphic flowers absent.
2n

= 20.

Acalypha californica

Acalypha deamii
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round, especially spring and fall. Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall.
Habitat Arid rocky slopes, desert washes. Moist bottomland woods, near streams or rivers, rarely in moist upland forests.
Elevation 10–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.) 100–400 m. (300–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MD; MO; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Acalypha deamii strongly resembles robust individuals of A. rhomboidea but is generally restricted to moist bottomland woods. Some accounts state that the leaves of A. deamii droop; this characteristic is not consistent and cannot be used for identification.

The distribution of Acalypha deamii is probably not as patchy as collections suggest. It is frequently overlooked because it looks so much like the widespread and abundant A. rhomboidea and is difficult to recognize until fruits mature. Collections may also be limited because A. deamii shares its habitat with stinging nettles.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 165. FNA vol. 12, p. 170.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha
Sibling taxa
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
A. alopecuroidea, A. arvensis, A. australis, A. californica, A. chamaedrifolia, 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 A. virginica var. deamii, A. rhomboidea var. deamii
Name authority Bentham: Bot. Voy. Sulphur, 51. (1844) (Weatherby) H. E. Ahles: in G. N. Jones and G. D. Fuller, Vasc. Pl. Illinois, 301. (1955)
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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