Acalypha monostachya
Acalypha virginica
round copperleaf
Virginia copperleaf, Virginia three-seed-Mercury
prostrate to ascending, short-pubescent and hirsute.
usually erect, sometimes ascending, pubescent and usually hirsute.
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 0.3–7 cm;
blade narrowly rhombic to broadly lanceolate, 1–8(–11) × 0.5–3(–4) cm, base acute, margins serrate, apex acute to acuminate.
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 0.7–1.5 × 1.3–1.7 cm or pistillate bract solitary, staminate portion 0.3–1(–1.8) cm;
allomorphic pistillate flowers absent.
pistil 3-carpellate;
styles multifid or laciniate.
pistil 3-carpellate;
styles multifid or laciniate.
smooth, pubescent.
smooth, pubescent.
1.5–1.8 mm, minutely pitted.
(1.2–)1.5–1.6(–1.8) mm, minutely pitted.
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 loosely arranged to crowded (inflorescence axis clearly to scarcely visible between bracts) or solitary, 6–13 × 9–20 mm, abaxial surface hirsute and sometimes stipitate-glandular;
lobes (9–)10–14(–16), triangular, 1/4–1/2 bract length.
Acalypha monostachya
Acalypha virginica
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 virginica overlaps geographically with A. rhomboidea but is more frequently found in grassy or prairielike habitats. See the discussion of 15. A. rhomboidea for notes on the nomenclatural and taxonomic confusion associated with these species.
Acalypha virginica and A. gracilens can sometimes be difficult to distinguish, especially when young. They can generally be distinguished by the pistillate bracts, which in A. virginica are hirsute and lack red sessile glands abaxially and in A. gracilens are sparsely pubescent and bear some red sessile glands abaxially.
Reports of Acalypha virginica from states other than those listed here are based on misidentifications.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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