Acalypha gracilens
Acalypha australis
slender copperleaf, slender three-seed-Mercury
Asian copperleaf
erect, pubescent.
erect, densely to sparsely pilose.
petiole 0.2–1.2(–1.8) cm;
blade oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1.7–6 × 0.4–2 cm, base cuneate, margins serrate to crenate to subentire, apex obtuse to acute.
petiole 0.5–4 cm;
blade ovate to broadly lanceolate, 2–8 × 1.5–4 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins serrate, apex acute to short-acuminate.
bisexual, axillary;
peduncle 0.1–0.6 cm, pistillate portion 0.7–1.3 × 0.8–1.5 cm or pistillate bract solitary, staminate portion 0.2–2.6 cm;
allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.
bisexual, axillary;
peduncle 0.5–4(–6) cm, pistillate portion 1–2 × 1.5–2.5 cm or pistillate bract solitary, staminate portion 0.5–3 cm;
allomorphic pistillate flowers rare, when present replacing staminate part of inflorescence.
of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.
pistil 3-carpellate;
styles multifid or laciniate.
pistil 3-carpellate (normal flowers), 2-carpellate (allomorphic flowers);
styles multifid or laciniate.
smooth, pubescent.
muricate, pubescent;
allomorphic fruits obovoid, 2 × 1.2 mm, muricate, pubescent.
1.1–1.9 mm, minutely pitted.
1.5–1.8 mm, minutely pitted.
bracts loosely arranged to crowded (inflorescence axis clearly to scarcely visible between bracts) or solitary, 8–14 × 11–17 mm, abaxial surface sparsely pubescent, red sessile-glandular, and sometimes stipitate-glandular;
lobes (7–)9–13(–15), deltate, 1/10–1/4 bract length.
bracts (normal flowers) loosely arranged (inflorescence axis visible between bracts) or solitary, 10–15(–20) × 8–12 mm, abaxial surface sparsely pubescent;
lobes 12–15, rounded, 1/20 bract length; of allomorphic flowers absent.
Acalypha gracilens
Acalypha australis
Acalypha gracilens varies considerably throughout its range; some of the extremes have been named. The variation shows no discrete breaks and no infraspecific taxa warrant recognition (G. A. Levin 1999). Populations in central Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa have been alleged to be introduced, but they show slight morphological differences from other populations and appear to be native. Acalypha gracilens is introduced in Wisconsin. See 16. A. virginica for a discussion of the differences between A. gracilens and that species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Acalypha australis, native to eastern Asia, became established in metropolitan New York City in the 1980s. It was also collected once in 1900 in Oregon (Suksdorf 2892, GH), and apparently has not persisted there.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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