Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha deamii

Acalypha radians

Deam's threeseed Mercury, largeseed Mercury

cardinal feather, cardinal's feather, palmate copperleaf
Habit Herbs, annual, 3–7 dm, monoecious. Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, 1.5–4 dm, dioecious.
Stems

erect, glabrate.

prostrate to ascending, short-pubescent and hirsute.
Leaves

petiole 2.5–7 cm;

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

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

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, 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.
Pedicels

of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.

Pistillate flowers

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

styles multifid or laciniate.

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent;

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

smooth, pubescent and hirsute.
Seeds

2.4–3.2 mm, shallowly pitted.

1.8–2 mm, minutely pitted.
Pistillate

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 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.

Acalypha deamii

Acalypha radians
Phenology Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Moist bottomland woods, near streams or rivers, rarely in moist upland forests. Grassy openings, dunes, and oak or mesquite woodlands, usually on deep sand.
Elevation 100–400 m. (300–1300 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MD; MO; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

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. 170. FNA vol. 12, p. 166.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha
Sibling taxa
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
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. virginica var. deamii, A. rhomboidea var. deamii
Name authority (Weatherby) H. E. Ahles: in G. N. Jones and G. D. Fuller, Vasc. Pl. Illinois, 301. (1955) Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 200. (1859)
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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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