Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha californica

Acalypha monostachya

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

round copperleaf
Habit Shrubs, 5–10 dm, monoecious. Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, 1.5–4 dm, monoecious or dioecious (staminate plants rare).
Stems

erect, hirsute and stipitate-glandular, becoming glabrate.

prostrate to ascending, short-pubescent and hirsute.
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 0.5–2.5 cm;

blade orbiculate or reniform, 0.7–2.5 × 0.8–2.5 cm, base cordate or rounded, margins shallowly crenate, apex rounded.
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.

unisexual or bisexual, terminal (staminate, pistillate, and bisexual) and axillary (pistillate); staminate peduncle 0.8–3 cm, fertile portion 1–4 cm; pistillate peduncle 0.4–1.5 cm, fertile portion 1–2 × 0.8–1.2 cm;

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

allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent and stipitate-glandular.

smooth, pubescent.
Seeds

1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.

1.5–1.8 mm, minutely 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 crowded (inflorescence axis not visible between bracts), 6–8.5 × 8–12 mm, abaxial surface hirsute, sessile- and stipitate-glandular;

lobes (8–)10–12(–14), rounded, 1/4 bract length.
2n

= 20.

Acalypha californica

Acalypha monostachya
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round, especially spring and fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Arid rocky slopes, desert washes. Dry, open, rocky, gravelly, or sandy areas.
Elevation 10–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.) 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico
[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 hederacea, the name most frequently used for these plants in the United States, and A. monostachya, commonly used for Mexican plants, were thought to differ in sexuality and staminate inflorescence length, but plants throughout Mexico and Texas show no consistent differences among populations and should be treated as a single species (G. A. Levin 1999b).

In the flora area, Acalypha monostachya is widespread in central and southern Texas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 165. FNA vol. 12, p. 166.
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. deamii, A. gracilens, A. monococca, A. neomexicana, A. ostryifolia, A. phleoides, A. poiretii, A. radians, A. rhomboidea, A. setosa, A. virginica, A. wilkesiana
Synonyms A. pringlei A. hederacea
Name authority Bentham: Bot. Voy. Sulphur, 51. (1844) Cavanilles: Anales Hist. Nat. 2: 138, plate 21, fig. 3. (1800)
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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