Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha monostachya

Acalypha deamii

round copperleaf

Deam's threeseed Mercury, largeseed Mercury
Habit Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, 1.5–4 dm, monoecious or dioecious (staminate plants rare). Herbs, annual, 3–7 dm, monoecious.
Stems

prostrate to ascending, short-pubescent and hirsute.

erect, glabrate.
Leaves

petiole 0.5–2.5 cm;

blade orbiculate or reniform, 0.7–2.5 × 0.8–2.5 cm, base cordate or rounded, margins shallowly crenate, apex rounded.

petiole 2.5–7 cm;

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

unisexual or bisexual, terminal (staminate, pistillate, and bisexual) and axillary (pistillate);

staminate peduncle 0.8–3 cm, fertile portion 1–4 cm;

pistillate peduncle 0.4–1.5 cm, fertile portion 1–2 × 0.8–1.2 cm;

bisexual similar to staminate, with 1–3 pistillate bracts near base;

allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.

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.
Pedicels

of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles multifid or laciniate.

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

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent.

smooth, pubescent;

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

1.5–1.8 mm, minutely pitted.

2.4–3.2 mm, shallowly pitted.
Pistillate

bracts crowded (inflorescence axis not visible between bracts), 6–8.5 × 8–12 mm, abaxial surface hirsute, sessile- and stipitate-glandular;

lobes (8–)10–12(–14), rounded, 1/4 bract length.

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.

Acalypha monostachya

Acalypha deamii
Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall.
Habitat Dry, open, rocky, gravelly, or sandy areas. Moist bottomland woods, near streams or rivers, rarely in moist upland forests.
Elevation 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.) 100–400 m. (300–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MD; MO; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Acalypha hederacea, the name most frequently used for these plants in the United States, and A. monostachya, commonly used for Mexican plants, were thought to differ in sexuality and staminate inflorescence length, but plants throughout Mexico and Texas show no consistent differences among populations and should be treated as a single species (G. A. Levin 1999b).

In the flora area, Acalypha monostachya is widespread in central and southern Texas.

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

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.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 166. FNA vol. 12, p. 170.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha
Sibling taxa
A. alopecuroidea, A. arvensis, A. australis, A. californica, A. chamaedrifolia, A. deamii, A. gracilens, A. monococca, 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. 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. hederacea A. virginica var. deamii, A. rhomboidea var. deamii
Name authority Cavanilles: Anales Hist. Nat. 2: 138, plate 21, fig. 3. (1800) (Weatherby) H. E. Ahles: in G. N. Jones and G. D. Fuller, Vasc. Pl. Illinois, 301. (1955)
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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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