Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha neomexicana

Acalypha phleoides

New Mexico copperleaf

shrubby copperleaf
Habit Herbs, annual, 1–3.5 dm, monoecious. Herbs, perennial, 2–5 dm, monoecious.
Stems

erect, pubescent.

erect, short-pubescent and hirsute.
Leaves

petiole 1–4 cm;

blade ovate-lanceolate, 2–5 × 0.7–2.7 cm, base rounded (sometimes asymmetric), margins crenate to serrate, apex acute.

petiole 0.2–1 cm;

blade rhombic-ovate to ovate, or proximal suborbiculate, 2–6 × 1–3 cm, base acute to rounded, margins serrate to crenate-serrate, apex acute to acuminate.
Inflorescences

unisexual, axillary (staminate) and terminal (pistillate; sometimes on short lateral branches, appearing axillary);

staminate peduncle 0.1–0.3 cm, fertile portion 0.1–0.6 cm;

pistillate peduncle 0.1–0.2 cm, fertile portion 2–5(–7) × 1.5–2.5 cm;

allomorphic pistillate flowers common, near apices of pistillate inflorescences.

bisexual, terminal;

peduncle 0.3–0.5(–1) cm, pistillate portion 4–7 × 1.6–2 cm, staminate portion 0.5–3.5 cm;

allomorphic pistillate flowers rarely present, replacing all or part of staminate portion of inflorescence.
Pedicels

of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.

of allomorphic flowers 3–5 mm.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate (normal flowers), 2-carpellate (allomorphic flowers);

styles multifid or laciniate.

pistil 3-carpellate (normal flowers), 2-carpellate (allomorphic flowers);

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, pubescent;

allomorphic fruits obovoid, longitudinally 2-ridged near apex, 1.4–1.6 × 1–1.2 mm, muricate, pubescent.

muricate, pubescent;

allomorphic fruits obovoid, 2 × 1.5 mm, muricate, pubescent.
Seeds

1.2–1.5 mm, coarsely pitted.

1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.
Pistillate

bracts (normal and allomorphic flowers) crowded (inflorescence axis not or sparingly visible between bracts), 12–15 × 7–10 mm, abaxial surface pubescent and stipitate-glandular;

lobes (5–)9–13(–17), deltate to triangular, 1/8–1/4 bract length, except terminal lobe to 1/3 bract length.

bracts (normal flowers) loosely arranged (inflorescence axis visible between bracts), 8–12 × 7–11 mm, abaxial surface sparsely pubescent and stipitate-glandular;

lobes (3–)5–7(–8), triangular to attenuate, 1/5–1/3 bract length or terminal lobe longer; of allomorphic flowers absent.
2n

= 40 (Mexico).

Acalypha neomexicana

Acalypha phleoides
Phenology Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Moist or shaded areas, oak or pine woodlands, desert grasslands. Rocky areas, grasslands, oak, pine, or juniper woodlands.
Elevation 600–2500 m. (2000–8200 ft.) 100–2600 m. (300–8500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico; c Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico; Central America (Guatemala)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Acalypha neomexicana is known in Texas only from the trans-Pecos region.

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

Plants from the United States have nearly always been called Acalypha lindheimeri, distinguished from A. phleoides on the basis of leaf shape and bract lobing. Although plants from Texas generally can be distinguished from plants from central Mexico southward, plants from intervening regions in the United States and Mexico include a full range of intermediates (G. A. Levin 1999b).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 169. FNA vol. 12, p. 165.
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. monostachya, 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. deamii, A. gracilens, A. monococca, A. monostachya, A. neomexicana, A. ostryifolia, A. poiretii, A. radians, A. rhomboidea, A. setosa, A. virginica, A. wilkesiana
Synonyms A. lindheimeri, A. lindheimeri var. major
Name authority Müller Arg.: Linnaea 34: 19. (1865) Cavanilles: Anales Hist. Nat. 2: 139. (1800)
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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