Acalypha gracilens
Acalypha californica
slender copperleaf, slender three-seed-Mercury
California acalypha, California copperleaf, heirba del cancer, Pringle threeseed Mercury
erect, pubescent.
erect, hirsute and stipitate-glandular, becoming glabrate.
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.
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 0.7–1.3 × 0.8–1.5 cm or pistillate bract solitary, staminate portion 0.2–2.6 cm;
allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.
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.
pistil 3-carpellate;
styles multifid or laciniate.
pistil 3-carpellate;
styles multifid or laciniate.
smooth, pubescent.
smooth, pubescent and stipitate-glandular.
1.1–1.9 mm, minutely pitted.
1.5–2 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 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 gracilens
Acalypha californica
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.)
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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