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Acalypha ostryifolia

(Hophornbeam Copperleaf)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Hophornbeam Copperleaf, Hornbeam Copper-Leaf, Pineland Threeseed Mercury

Description

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Family Euphorbiaceae

The Euphorbiaceae are mostly monoecious herbs, shrubs , and trees , sometimes succulent and cactus-like, comprising one of the largest families of plants with about 300 genera and 7,500 species that are further characterized by the frequent occurrence of milky sap . The leaves are mostly alternate but may be opposite or whorled and they are simple , or compound , or sometimes highly reduced. Stipules are generally present but may be reduced to hairs , glands or spines. The flowers are unisexual and usually actinomorphic . They may be highly reduced by suppression of parts, in the extreme form consisting of a naked stamen as a male flower and a naked pistil as a female flower. A specialized type of miniature inflorescence called a cyathium occurs in about 1,500 species comprising the genera Euphorbia and Chamaesyce. The cyathium consists of a single naked pistillate flower surrounded by cymes of naked staminate flowers, each consisting of a single stamen. These flowers are all enclosed in a cup-like involucre that typically is provided with peripheral nectaries and petaloid appendages such that the whole aggregation closely resembles a single flower. In other members of the family the flowers and inflorescences are more ordinary in appearance , with male and female flowers typically bearing a 5-merous calyx and corolla of distinct segments, although the corolla is sometimes absent. In these forms the androecium most commonly consists of 5, 10 or sometimes numerous distinct or monadelphous stamens. The gynoecium of female flowers consists of a single compound pistil of typically 3 carpels, an equal number of styles or primary style branches, and a superior ovary with typically 3 locules, each bearing 1 or 2 collateral , axile-apical pendulous ovules. The fruit is usually a capsular schizocarp. -- Gerald Carr.

Physical Description

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Flower Color: pale pink

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 12-18" tall.

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,085 meters (0 to 6,841 feet).[1]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Annual

Growth

Culture: Space 12-15" apart.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Acalypha caroliniana Elliott • Acalypha corchorifolia A. Rich. • Acalypha pedunculata Klotzsch Ex Pax & K. Hoffm. • Acalypha persimilis Müll. Arg. • Acalypha persimilis var. corchorifolia (A. Rich.) Müll. Arg. • Acalypha persimilis var. scabra Müll. Arg. • Acalypha polystachya Griseb. • Acalypha setosa Bello • Ricinocarpus carolinianus Kuntze • Ricinocarpus persimilis< /i> (Müll. Arg.) Kuntze

Notes

Publishing author : Riddell ex J.M.Coult. Publication : Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5(Sig. 14): 213 1894 [14 Jun 1894]

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 11-Nov-2003

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Acalypha

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 42 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

A. alopecuroidea (Fox-Tail Copper-Leaf) · A. amentacea (Acalypha) · A. amentacea wilkesiana (Wilkes' Acalypha) · A. aristata (Field Copperleaf) · A. australis (Australian Acalypha) · A. berteriana (Berteron Acalypha) · A. bisetosa (Streambank Copperleaf) · A. californica (California Acalypha) · A. chamaedrifolia (Cat Tails) · A. chamaedryfolia (Bastard Copperleaf) · A. godseffiana 'Firestorm' (Acalypha) · A. godseffiana 'Inferno' (Copper Leaf) · A. gracilens (Slender Copperleaf) · A. gracilens monococca (Slender Threeseed Mercury) · A. hispida (Bristly Copperleaf) · A. indica (India Copper-Leaf) · A. mexicana (Mexican Copperleaf) · A. monococca (Slender Threeseed Mercury) · A. monostachya (Round Cooper-Leaf) · A. neomexicana (New Mexico Copper-Leaf) · A. ostryifolia (Hophornbeam Copperleaf) · A. pendula (Dwarf Chenille) · A. phleoides (Shrubby Copper-Leaf) · A. poiretii (Poiret's Cooper-Leaf) · A. portoricensis (Puerto Rico Copperleaf) · A. radians (Cardinal's Feather) · A. setosa (Cuban Copper-Leaf) · A. virginica (Common Copperleaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Bourbon Street' (South Pacific Copperleaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Ceylon' (Copperleaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Cypress Elf' (Copper Leaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Godseffiana' (Copper Leaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Kona Coast' (Copperleaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Macafeana' (Copper Leaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Macafeeana' (Jacob's Coat) · A. wilkesiana 'Miltoniana' (Copper Leaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Mosaica' (Copper Leaf) · A. wilkesiana 'Obovata' (Copper Leaf) · A. wilksiana 'Hoffmanii' (Irish Petticoat) · A. 'Fairy Dust' (Copper Leaf) · A. 'Inferno' (Acalypha) · A. 'Raggedy Ann' (Copper Leaf)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 15, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Mean = 261.430 meters (857.710 feet), Standard Deviation = 312.220 based on 871 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/14/2012