Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha californica

Acalypha radians

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

cardinal feather, cardinal's feather, palmate copperleaf
Habit Shrubs, 5–10 dm, monoecious. Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, 1.5–4 dm, dioecious.
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 0.4–1.6 cm;

blade reniform or suborbiculate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.8–2 cm, base cordate or rounded, margins deeply crenate, apex rounded.
Inflorescences

unisexual 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, 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.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent and stipitate-glandular.

smooth, pubescent and hirsute.
Seeds

1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.

1.8–2 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), 7–10 × 12–16 mm, abaxial surface hirsute, sessile- and stipitate-glandular;

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

= 20.

Acalypha californica

Acalypha radians
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round, especially spring and fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Arid rocky slopes, desert washes. Grassy openings, dunes, and oak or mesquite woodlands, usually on deep sand.
Elevation 10–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Tamaulipas)
[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 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. 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. monostachya, A. neomexicana, A. ostryifolia, A. phleoides, A. poiretii, A. rhomboidea, A. setosa, A. virginica, A. wilkesiana
Synonyms A. pringlei
Name authority Bentham: Bot. Voy. Sulphur, 51. (1844) 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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