Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha chamaedrifolia

Acalypha virginica

bastard copperleaf, Everglades copperleaf

Virginia copperleaf, Virginia three-seed-Mercury
Habit Herbs, perennial, 1–2.5 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 1–5 dm, monoecious.
Stems

prostrate to ascending, pubescent.

usually erect, sometimes ascending, pubescent and usually hirsute.
Leaves

petiole 0.1–0.5 cm;

blade ovate to orbiculate, 0.3–2.1 × 0.3–1.2 cm, base cordate or rounded, margins serrate-crenate, apex obtuse or acute.

petiole 0.3–7 cm;

blade narrowly rhombic to broadly lanceolate, 1–8(–11) × 0.5–3(–4) cm, base acute, margins serrate, apex acute to acuminate.
Inflorescences

bisexual, terminal;

peduncle 0.2–1 cm, pistillate portion 1.5–3 × 1–1.5 cm, staminate portion 0.8–2.5 cm;

allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.

bisexual, axillary;

peduncle 0.1–0.6 cm, pistillate portion 0.7–1.5 × 1.3–1.7 cm or pistillate bract solitary, staminate portion 0.3–1(–1.8) cm;

allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent.

smooth, pubescent.
Seeds

1.2–1.4 mm, minutely pitted.

(1.2–)1.5–1.6(–1.8) mm, minutely pitted.
Pistillate

bracts crowded (inflorescence axis not or sparingly visible between bracts), 4–6 × 7–10 mm, abaxial surface pubescent and sessile-glandular;

lobes (7–)10–13, deltate to triangular, 1/5 bract length.

bracts loosely arranged to crowded (inflorescence axis clearly to scarcely visible between bracts) or solitary, 6–13 × 9–20 mm, abaxial surface hirsute and sometimes stipitate-glandular;

lobes (9–)10–14(–16), triangular, 1/4–1/2 bract length.

Acalypha chamaedrifolia

Acalypha virginica
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round, mainly spring–fall. Flowering and fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Rocky pine woods, disturbed areas. Deciduous and evergreen woods, riverbanks, agricultural fields, disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) 30–1200 m. (100–3900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In the flora area, Acalypa chamaedrifolia is native to Miami-Dade and Monroe counties but has been sparingly, and apparently accidentally, introduced farther north.

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

Acalypha virginica overlaps geographically with A. rhomboidea but is more frequently found in grassy or prairielike habitats. See the discussion of 15. A. rhomboidea for notes on the nomenclatural and taxonomic confusion associated with these species.

Acalypha virginica and A. gracilens can sometimes be difficult to distinguish, especially when young. They can generally be distinguished by the pistillate bracts, which in A. virginica are hirsute and lack red sessile glands abaxially and in A. gracilens are sparsely pubescent and bear some red sessile glands abaxially.

Reports of Acalypha virginica from states other than those listed here are based on misidentifications.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 166. FNA vol. 12, p. 171.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha
Sibling taxa
A. alopecuroidea, A. arvensis, A. australis, A. californica, 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. radians, A. rhomboidea, A. setosa, A. wilkesiana
Synonyms Croton chamaedryfolius A. digyneia
Name authority (Lamarck) Müller Arg.: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 879. (1866) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1003. (1753) — name conserved
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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