Flora of North America species comparison

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Acalypha setosa

Acalypha neomexicana

Cuban copperleaf

New Mexico copperleaf
Habit Herbs, annual, 3–5 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 1–3.5 dm, monoecious.
Stems

erect, sparsely pubescent.

erect, pubescent.
Leaves

petiole 1–7 cm;

blade ovate, 2.5–10 × 1.5–8 cm, base broadly obtuse to rounded or truncate, margins serrate, apex acuminate.

petiole 1–4 cm;

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

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

staminate peduncle 0.5–0.7 cm, fertile portion 0.5–1.5 cm;

pistillate peduncle 0.1–0.5 cm, fertile portion 3–12 × 0.7–1 cm;

allomorphic pistillate flowers common, near apices of pistillate inflorescences and mixed with flowers in staminate 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.
Pedicels

of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.

of allomorphic flowers rudimentary.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate (normal flowers), 1(–3)-carpellate (allomorphic flowers);

styles multifid or laciniate.

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

styles multifid or laciniate.
Capsules

smooth, sparsely pubescent;

allomorphic fruits oblate ellipsoidal, longitudinally ridged, an irregular flange on each side, 1.4–1.7 × 1.5–2 mm, smooth, puberulent.

smooth, pubescent;

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

1.2–1.4 mm, minutely pitted.

1.2–1.5 mm, coarsely pitted.
Pistillate

bracts (normal flowers) loosely arranged (inflorescence axis visible between bracts), 5–7 × 3–4 mm, abaxial surface glabrous;

lobes 7–9(–13), linear, nearly bract length, muricate; of allomorphic flowers on pistillate inflorescences like those of normal flowers, on staminate inflorescences absent.

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.

Acalypha setosa

Acalypha neomexicana
Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall.
Habitat Disturbed areas. Moist or shaded areas, oak or pine woodlands, desert grasslands.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 600–2500 m. (2000–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; c Mexico; s Mexico; Central America; West Indies; n South America [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico; c Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Acalypha setosa, indigenous from Mexico to northern South America and the West Indies, was first introduced to the United States in the late 1800s and now occurs sporadically through the southeastern states.

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

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

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 168. FNA vol. 12, p. 169.
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. neomexicana, A. ostryifolia, A. phleoides, A. poiretii, A. radians, A. rhomboidea, A. virginica, A. wilkesiana
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
Name authority A. Richard: in R. Sagra, Hist. Fis. Cuba 11: 204. (1850) Müller Arg.: Linnaea 34: 19. (1865)
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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