Acalypha ciliata Forssk.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual herb 15–50(–100) cm high; stems crisped-puberulous, sometimes also pilose

Morphology Leaves

Petiole up to 7.5 cm long; leaf-blade ovate to broadly lanceolate, 4–10 x 1.5–5 cm, base cuneate to rounded, tip acuminate, hairy becoming glabrous below; stipules 2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes axillary, up to 5 cm long, densely flowered, lower 1/3–2/3rds female, rest male, sometimes with terminal modified female flower on pedicel up to 5 mm long

Morphology General Buds

Male buds 4-angular, granular tuberculate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Female bracts accrescent to 6 x 12 mm, margin finely divided into numerous straight linear-filiform teeth 1.5–3 mm long, sometimes glandular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers: sepals 3, 1 mm long; ovary hairy; styles 2 mm long, white

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 1.5 x 2.5 mm, subglabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ovoid, 1.3 x 1 mm, brown; caruncle ± flat.

Distribution

C2; S1, 3 west to Burkina Faso and Togo, south to S Mozambique and N Namibia, avoiding higher rainfall areas; tropical Arabia, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka

Ecology

Altitude range 20–240 m.

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit

An erect slender annual herb up to 1 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems sparingly crisped-puberulous and sometimes also slightly pilose.

Morphology Leaves

Petioles up to 7.5 cm. long; leaf-blade ovate, elliptic-ovate or occasionally ovate-lanceolate, 4–10 cm. long, 1.5–5 cm. wide, acutely or subacutely caudate-acuminate, cuneate, rounded or scarcely subcordate, crenate-serrate, membranous, 3–5-nerved at the base, lateral nerves 4–5 pairs, sparingly pubescent above and beneath, more particularly on the midrib, lateral and tertiary nerves, later glabrescent above.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules filiform, 2 mm. long, very sparingly pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences spicate, axillary, solitary or paired, up to 5 cm. long, densely flowered, the lower third to two-thirds ♂, the upper part ♂, sometimes terminated by an allomorphic ♀ flower on a pedicel up to 5 mm. long; axis sparingly crisped-puberulous; ♂ bracts minute; ♀ bracts transversely ovate, accrescent to up to 6 mm. long and 12 mm. wide, laciniate-multifid, the segments variable, ranging from 1.5 mm. long, lanceolate and curved forwards to 3 mm. long, filiform and patent, ciliate, glabrous, subglabrous or sparingly pubescent or pilose, occasionally with an admixture of glandular hairs, without and within, ribbed, 1-flowered.

sex Male

Male flowers subsessile; buds 4-gonous, minutely granular-tuberculate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers sessile; sepals 3, ovate-lanceolate, 1 mm. long, ciliate; ovary subtrilobate, 0.3 mm. diameter, sparingly pubescent above; styles ± free to the base, 2 mm. long, laciniate, white. Male flowers subsessile; buds 4-gonous, minutely granular-tuberculate. Allomorphic ♀ flowers obovoid, with 2 lateral and 1 basal fimbriate whorls, pubescent.

sex Female

Female flowers sessile; sepals 3, ovate-lanceolate, 1 mm. long, ciliate; ovary subtrilobate, 0.3 mm. diameter, sparingly pubescent above; styles ± free to the base, 2 mm. long, laciniate, white. Allomorphic ♀ flowers obovoid, with 2 lateral and 1 basal fimbriate whorls, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit trilobate, 1.5 mm. long, 2.5 mm. diameter, smooth, subglabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ovoid-subglobose, 1.3 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, ± smooth, brown, with a flattened elliptic caruncle.

Habitat

Open and wooded grassland, deciduous and coastal bushland, often in rocky or damp places, also ruderal; 0–1650 m.

Distribution

from Senegal to Eritrea and south to Namibia and South Africa (Transvaal)S. ArabiaPakistanIndia E. to OrissaCeylon K1 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8

Euphorbiaceae, A. Radcliffe-Smith. Flora Zambesiaca 9:4. 1996

Morphology General Habit

An erect, slender, unbranched annual herb up to 1.3 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems puberulous.

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petioles up to 7 cm long.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf blades 2–10 × 1–5.5 cm, ovate, elliptic-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, caudate-acuminate at the apex, crenate-serrate, cuneate or rounded at the base, membranous, subglabrous or sparingly pubescent on both surfaces, and more evenly so along the midrib and main nerves beneath, 3–5-nerved from the base; lateral nerves in 4–6 pairs.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules 1 mm long, narrowly lanceolate, ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences up to 3 cm long, spicate, axillary, often paired, male in the upper half, female in the lower, sometimes terminated by a solitary allomorphic female flower; male bracts minute; female bracts accrescent to up to 6 × 10 mm, transversely ovate, multifid-laciniate, the teeth up to 4 mm long, linear to filiform, separate, erect, ciliate, the bracts as a whole sparingly pubescent or ± glabrous, ribbed, 1-flowered.

sex Male

Male flowers subsessile; buds minute, tetragonal, granular-tuberculate, greenish; anthers yellow.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers sessile; sepals 3, 1 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, ciliate; ovary 0.3 mm in diameter, somewhat 3-lobed, sparingly pubescent above; styles 2 mm long, ± free, laciniate, white. Allomorphic female flowers obovoid, rugulose, with or without a pair of fimbriate whorls near the top, pubescent. Male flowers subsessile; buds minute, tetragonal, granular-tuberculate, greenish; anthers yellow.

sex Female

Female flowers sessile; sepals 3, 1 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, ciliate; ovary 0.3 mm in diameter, somewhat 3-lobed, sparingly pubescent above; styles 2 mm long, ± free, laciniate, white. Allomorphic female flowers obovoid, rugulose, with or without a pair of fimbriate whorls near the top, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits 1.5 × 2.5 mm, 3-lobed, smooth, subglabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1.3 × 1 mm, ovoid, ± smooth, brown, shiny, with a flattened, elliptic caruncle.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident