Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha monococca

Acalypha chamaedrifolia

oneseed Mercury, slender threeseed Mercury

bastard copperleaf, Everglades copperleaf
Habit Herbs, annual, 1–4 dm, monoecious. Herbs, perennial, 1–2.5 dm, monoecious.
Stems

erect, pubescent.

prostrate to ascending, pubescent.
Leaves

petiole 0.2–1(–1.2) cm;

blade linear-lanceolate to linear, 1.7–6(–7) × 0.3–1.2 cm, base cuneate, margins usually subentire, sometimes shallowly serrate, apex acute.

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.
Inflorescences

bisexual, axillary;

peduncle 0.1–0.6 cm, pistillate portion 0.6–1.2 × 0.8–1.5 cm or pistillate bract solitary, staminate portion 0.1–2.5 cm;

allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.

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.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 1-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent.

smooth, pubescent.
Seeds

1.6–2.4 mm, shallowly pitted.

1.2–1.4 mm, minutely pitted.
Pistillate

bracts loosely arranged to crowded (inflorescence axis clearly to scarcely visible between bracts) or solitary, 8–13 × 11–16 mm, abaxial surface sparsely to densely pubescent, red sessile-glandular, and rarely stipitate-glandular;

lobes (7–)9–13(–17), deltate, 1/10–1/4 bract length.

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.

Acalypha monococca

Acalypha chamaedrifolia
Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting year-round, mainly spring–fall.
Habitat Pine and oak woods, prairies, barrens, on sandy or shallow rocky soils. Rocky pine woods, disturbed areas.
Elevation 80–600 m. (300–2000 ft.) 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; IL; KS; KY; LA; MO; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Even when fruits have dehisced, Acalypha monococca is easily distinguished from A. gracilens and all other species in the genus by its curved, needlelike columellae.

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

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.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 171. FNA vol. 12, p. 166.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha
Sibling taxa
A. alopecuroidea, A. arvensis, A. australis, A. californica, A. chamaedrifolia, A. deamii, A. gracilens, 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. 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
Synonyms A. gracilens var. monococca, A. gracilens subsp. monococca Croton chamaedryfolius
Name authority (Engelmann ex A. Gray) Lillian W. Miller & Gandhi: Sida 13: 123. (1988) (Lamarck) Müller Arg.: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 879. (1866)
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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