Acalypha neomexicana
Acalypha virginica
New Mexico copperleaf
Virginia copperleaf, Virginia three-seed-Mercury
erect, pubescent.
usually erect, sometimes ascending, pubescent and usually hirsute.
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 0.3–7 cm;
blade narrowly rhombic to broadly lanceolate, 1–8(–11) × 0.5–3(–4) cm, base acute, margins serrate, apex acute to acuminate.
unisexual, 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, 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.
of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.
pistil 3-carpellate (normal flowers), 2-carpellate (allomorphic flowers);
styles multifid or laciniate.
pistil 3-carpellate;
styles multifid or laciniate.
smooth, pubescent;
allomorphic fruits obovoid, longitudinally 2-ridged near apex, 1.4–1.6 × 1–1.2 mm, muricate, pubescent.
smooth, pubescent.
1.2–1.5 mm, coarsely pitted.
(1.2–)1.5–1.6(–1.8) mm, minutely pitted.
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 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 neomexicana
Acalypha virginica
Acalypha neomexicana is known in Texas only from the trans-Pecos region.
(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.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
Go Botany
IL Wildflowers
KS Wildflowers
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
MI Flora
MO Plants
