Acalypha deamii
Acalypha californica
Deam's threeseed Mercury, largeseed Mercury
California acalypha, California copperleaf, heirba del cancer, Pringle threeseed Mercury
erect, glabrate.
erect, hirsute and stipitate-glandular, becoming glabrate.
petiole 2.5–7 cm;
blade ovate to broadly rhombic, 4–12 × 2–7 cm, base obtuse, margins serrate, apex acute to acuminate.
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.
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.
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.
of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.
pistil 2-carpellate (normal flowers), 1-carpellate (allomorphic flowers);
styles multifid or laciniate.
pistil 3-carpellate;
styles multifid or laciniate.
smooth, pubescent;
allomorphic fruits obovoid, 2.5–3 × 1.8–2 mm, spiny, pubescent.
smooth, pubescent and stipitate-glandular.
2.4–3.2 mm, shallowly pitted.
1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.
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.
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.
= 20.
Acalypha deamii
Acalypha californica
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.)
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.)
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