Acalypha virginica

Acalypha virginica, commonly called Virginia threeseed mercury[2] or Virginia copperleaf,[3] is a plant in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It is native to the eastern United States.[4][5] It is found in a variety of natural habitats, particularly in open woodlands and along riverbanks.[5][6] It is a somewhat weedy species that responds positively to ecological disturbance, and can be found in degraded habitats such as agricultural fields.[6]

Acalypha virginica

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Acalypha
Species:
A. virginica
Binomial name
Acalypha virginica

Acalypha virginica is an erect herbaceous annual growing to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall. It is monoecious, and produces small greenish axillary flowers with no petals. It blooms in summer through fall.[5] It bears a similarity to Acalypha gracilens which occupies much of its geographic range. Acalypha virginica can be distinguished by its pistillate bracts which are hirsute and lack glands (vs. Acalypha gracilens, which has pistillate bracts that are sparsely pubescent and red-glandular).[5]

For conservation, Acalypha virginica is considered to be globally secure.[1] It is a common species throughout much of its range, and is found in a wide variety of habitats.[6][7] However, it becomes uncommon at the edges of its range, and is listed as a special concern species in Connecticut.[8] In Maine, the only documented occurrence of this species was collected from Parsonsfield in 1902, and it is currently thought to be extirpated from the state.[9]

References
  1. NatureServe (5 May 2023). "Acalypha virginica". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Acalypha virginica". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  3. Weakley, Alan S. (30 November 2012). "Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, Working Draft" (PDF). pp. 608–609. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via North Carolina Biological Garden.
  4. "Acalypha virginica". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  5. Levin, Geoffrey A.; Gillespie, Lynn J. (2016). "Acalypha virginica". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 12. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  6. Hilty, John (2020). "Acalypha virginica". Illinois Wildflowers. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  7. Yatskievych, George (2006). Flora of Missouri. Vol. 2. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. p. 1017. ISBN 1930723490.
  8. Connecticut's Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species 2015 State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  9. Acalypha virginica Rare Plant Factsheet Maine Natural Areas Program. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
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