Acalypha monostachya

Cavanilles

Anales Hist. Nat. 2: 138, plate 21, fig. 3. 1800.

Common names: Round copperleaf
Synonyms: Acalypha hederacea Torrey
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 166. Mentioned on page 164.

Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, 1.5–4 dm, monoecious or dioecious (staminate plants rare). Stems prostrate to ascending, short-pubescent and hirsute. Leaves: 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. Inflorescences 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. Pistillate 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. Pistillate flowers: pistil 3-carpellate; styles multifid or laciniate. Capsules smooth, pubescent. Seeds 1.5–1.8 mm, minutely pitted.


Phenology: Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat: Dry, open, rocky, gravelly, or sandy areas.
Elevation: 0–900 m.

Discussion

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"elongated" is not a number."connate" is not a number. "distinct" is not a number.

... more about "Acalypha monostachya"
stipitate-glandular +  and hirsute +
rounded +
Geoffrey A. Levin +
Cavanilles +
rounded +  and cordate +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
reniform;orbiculate +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
pistillate +  and staminate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.85 cm8.5 mm <br />0.0085 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (?) +
thread-like +
Round copperleaf +
Tex. +  and Mexico +
0–900 m. +
Dry, open, rocky, gravelly, or sandy areas. +
bisexual +  and unisexual +
drought-deciduous +  and persistent +
rounded +
palmate +  and pinnate +
dentate +, serrate +  and entire +
allomorphic +, pistillate +  and staminate +
pistillate +  and staminate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
connate;distinct +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
bisexual +  and fertile +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
Anales Hist. Nat. +
ellipsoid +  and subglobose +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
not petaloid +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
distinct +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
prostrate +  and ascending +
hirsute +  and short-pubescent +
deciduous +  and persistent +
connate +  and distinct +
laciniate +  and multifid +
Acalypha hederacea +
Acalypha monostachya +
Acalypha +
species +
spikelike +
subshrub +  and herb +
dioecious +  and monoecious +