Acalypha paniculata Miq.

Euphorbiaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A perennial herb or shrub, to 10 ft. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

A copious female inflorescence of small flowers, often deep red in colour.

sex Female

A copious female inflorescence of small flowers, often deep red in colour.

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

Morphology General Habit

A laxly branched perennial herb or subshrub up to 1.5 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems puberulous or pubescent, sometimes also pilose or hirsute.

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petioles up to 10 cm long.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf blades 3–13 × 1.5–9 cm, ovate, acuminate at the apex, crenate-serrate on the margins, rounded to shallowly cordate at the base, membranous, sparingly pubescent or hirsute or subglabrous on both surfaces, also somewhat puberulous along the midrib and main nerves, 5–9-nerved from the base; lateral nerves in 3–5 pairs.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules 3–4 mm long, filiform-setaceous, pubescent.

sex Male

Male flowers subsessile or shortly pedicellate; buds rounded tetragonal, glabrous, reddish. Male inflorescences up to 12 cm long, spicate, axillary, solitary; bracts 0.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Female inflorescence up to 25 cm long and 6 cm wide, paniculate, terminal, rarely sometimes spicate and axillary; panicle branches subspicate or racemose; bracts minute, not accrescent, 1–3-flowered. Male inflorescences up to 12 cm long, spicate, axillary, solitary; bracts 0.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate; sepals 5, 0.5 mm long, lanceolate, acute, sparingly pubescent; ovary 0.5 mm in diameter, somewhat 3-lobed, papillose and stipitate-glandular; styles 1–2 mm long, ± free, deeply 4–6-partite, the segments filiform, red. Male flowers subsessile or shortly pedicellate; buds rounded tetragonal, glabrous, reddish.

sex Female

Female flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate; sepals 5, 0.5 mm long, lanceolate, acute, sparingly pubescent; ovary 0.5 mm in diameter, somewhat 3-lobed, papillose and stipitate-glandular; styles 1–2 mm long, ± free, deeply 4–6-partite, the segments filiform, red. Female inflorescence up to 25 cm long and 6 cm wide, paniculate, terminal, rarely sometimes spicate and axillary; panicle branches subspicate or racemose; bracts minute, not accrescent, 1–3-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits 1.5 × 2 mm, 3-lobed, granulate near the apex and sparingly stipitate-glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1.2 × 0.8 mm, ovoid, minutely alveolate-reticulate, purplish-grey, ecarunculate.

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

Morphology General Habit

A laxly branched perennial herb or subshrub 0.5–2(–3) m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems pubescent or pilose or both, densely so when young, later more sparingly.

Morphology Leaves

Petioles (3–)6–13 cm. long; leaf-blade ovate, (3–)6–9(–13) cm. long, (2–)4–8(–9) cm. wide, somewhat abruptly acutely or subacutely acuminate, rounded-cuneate, truncate or shallowly cordate, coarsely serrate or crenate, membranous, 5–7-nerved from the base, lateral nerves 4–6 pairs, sparingly setose above and beneath, more evenly so along the midrib and nerves, occasionally somewhat glandular-stipitate on the margins.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules linear-lanceolate, 2 mm. long, sparingly setose and stipitate-glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Male racemes solitary, axillary, up to 20 cm. long; axis puberulous; bracts 0.5 mm. long. Female inflorescence paniculate, terminal, rarely sometimes also racemose and axillary, up to 35 cm. long; panicle-branches racemose, rarely with 1–2 ♂ flowers near the base; axis and branches puberulous; bracts minute, 1–3-flowered.

sex Male

Male racemes solitary, axillary, up to 20 cm. long; axis puberulous; bracts 0.5 mm. long. Male flowers:pedicels 0.5 mm. long; buds 4-gonous, apiculate, 0.5 mm. diameter, glabrous; calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate, 0.5 mm. long, somewhat acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers:pedicels ± 1 mm. long; sepals 5, lanceolate, 0.5 mm. long, acute, sparingly pubescent without; ovary subtrilobed, 0.7 mm. diameter, granular-warty and glandular-stipitate; styles ± free, 2 mm. long, deeply 4–6-partite, the segments filiform, simple, 1.5 mm. long, glabrous, red. Male flowers:pedicels 0.5 mm. long; buds 4-gonous, apiculate, 0.5 mm. diameter, glabrous; calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate, 0.5 mm. long, somewhat acute.

sex Female

Female flowers:pedicels ± 1 mm. long; sepals 5, lanceolate, 0.5 mm. long, acute, sparingly pubescent without; ovary subtrilobed, 0.7 mm. diameter, granular-warty and glandular-stipitate; styles ± free, 2 mm. long, deeply 4–6-partite, the segments filiform, simple, 1.5 mm. long, glabrous, red. Female inflorescence paniculate, terminal, rarely sometimes also racemose and axillary, up to 35 cm. long; panicle-branches racemose, rarely with 1–2 ♂ flowers near the base; axis and branches puberulous; bracts minute, 1–3-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits trilobed, 1.5 mm. long, 2 mm. diameter, granulose toward the apex, sparingly glandular-stipitate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ovoid, 1.2 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide, minutely alveolate-reticulate, purplish grey, ecarunculate.

Habitat

Forest, open places, edges and riverine, sometimes in rocky or disturbed places nearby; 100–2000 m.

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T5 T6 T8 U1 U2 more or less throughout tropical Africa from the Ivory Coast to Eritrea and south to Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique