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Acalypha virginica L.

Virginia threeseed mercury (en), Acalyphe de Virginie (fr), Acalypha de Virginie (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Malpighiales > Euphorbiaceae > Acalypha

Characteristics

Herbs, annual, 1–5 dm, monoecious. Stems usually erect, sometimes ascending, pubescent and usually hirsute. Leaves: 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. 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. Pistillate 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. Pistillate flowers: pistil 3-carpellate; styles multifid or laciniate. Capsules smooth, pubescent. Seeds (1.2–)1.5–1.6(–1.8) mm, minutely pitted.
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Stem erect, usually branched, 2–6 dm, pubescent with incurved hairs, often also ± hirsute; petioles commonly much exceeding the bracts that they subtend and a third to half as long as the blades, or shorter in depauperate plants; blades lance-ovate, shallowly crenate; pistillate bracts 8–14 mm, deeply cleft into (9)10–15 oblong to linear acute segments, usually with some long, spreading hairs; staminate spikes equaling or slightly surpassing the bracts; 2n=40. Dry or moist open woods, fields and roadsides; Me. to Ind. and se. S.D., s. to Fla. and Tex.
Life form annual
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.6 - 0.9
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 0.2
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light 5-6
Soil humidity 5-5
Soil texture 1-4
Soil acidity 4-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 2-6

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Kidney Aid (root), Misc. Disease Remedy (root), Urinary Aid (root)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -45
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Acalypha virginica habit picture by Annie Elle (cc-by-sa)
Acalypha virginica habit picture by Manū (cc-by-sa)
Acalypha virginica habit picture by Pietro Brignoli (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Acalypha virginica leaf picture by dario ruggieri (cc-by-sa)
Acalypha virginica leaf picture by Jackson Campbell (cc-by-sa)
Acalypha virginica leaf picture by t d (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Acalypha virginica flower picture by Hill Paige (cc-by-sa)
Acalypha virginica flower picture by S. Isabella (cc-by-sa)
Acalypha virginica flower picture by Manū (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Acalypha virginica fruit picture by Feya Sterling (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Acalypha virginica world distribution map, present in Åland Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Georgia, Italy, Malaysia, Nicaragua, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1586-2
WFO ID wfo-0000252267
COL ID 8SHX
BDTFX ID 112
INPN ID 79713
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Acalypha virginica f. intermedia Acalypha urticifolia Ricinocarpus urticifolius Acalypha virginea Acalypha caroliniana Acalypha brevipes Acalypha crenulata Acalypha echinata Acalypha virginica var. virginica Acalypha virginica var. angustifolia Acalypha virginica f. purpurea Ricinocarpus virginicus Acalypha virginica var. genuina Acalypha virginica
WorldFloraDB 2024