Acalypha setosa
Acalypha virginica
Cuban copperleaf
Virginia copperleaf, Virginia three-seed-Mercury
erect, sparsely pubescent.
usually erect, sometimes ascending, pubescent and usually hirsute.
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 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 0.5–0.7 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.
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), 1(–3)-carpellate (allomorphic flowers);
styles multifid or laciniate.
pistil 3-carpellate;
styles multifid or laciniate.
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.
1.2–1.4 mm, minutely pitted.
(1.2–)1.5–1.6(–1.8) mm, minutely pitted.
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 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 setosa
Acalypha virginica
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 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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