Euphorbiaceae
Acalypha

Acalypha volkensii Pax

First published in H.G.A.Engler, Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas, C: 239 (1895)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to Burundi. It is a climbing subshrub or climbing shrub and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
A prostrate, procumbent, ascending or scandent woody herb or subshrub up to 3 m. tall, but commonly not exceeding 1 m.
Morphology Stem
Stems subglabrous, sparingly to densely puberulous or hirsute or both, tomentose or villous, green, later becoming reddish brown.
Morphology Leaves
Petioles (0.2–)1–5(–8) cm. long, hairy ± as the stems; leaf-blade ovate, triangular-ovate or elliptic-ovate, 1–9.5 cm. long, 0.5–6 cm. wide, acutely, subacutely or obtusely gradually acuminate, rounded, truncate or shallowly cordate, crenate-serrate, membranous to thinly chartaceous, 5–7-nerved from the base, lateral nerves (4–)5–7 pairs, subglabrous or sparingly puberulous, pubescent or setose above, more evenly or sometimes densely so beneath, particularly along the midrib and main veins, yellow-green.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules linear-filiform, 2–4 mm. long, sparingly pubescent or subglabrous, sometimes with 1–2 sessile glands near the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences ± spicate, axillary, rarely terminal on lateral few-leaved branches, solitary, up to 11 cm. long, with a terminal ♂ portion borne on a peduncle up to 4.5 cm. long, with 1(–3) bracteate ♀ flowers at the base of the ♂ peduncle, and sometimes also with a basal allomorphic ♀ flower borne on a very slender hair-like pedicel up to 3 cm. long arising from near the point of insertion of the bracteate ♀ flower, rarely the inflorescence unisexual; axis sparingly to densely puberulous or pubescent; ♂ bracts minute; ♀ bracts leaf-like, strongly accrescent, broadly ovate or reniform, flattened out, 0.5–1.5 cm. long, 0.7–2 cm. wide, obtuse or subacute, cordate, crenate-serrate, subglabrous or sparingly pubescent above and beneath, 1(–2)-flowered, the second sometimes abortive.
sex Male
Male flowers subsessile or shortly pedicellate; buds 4-gonous, glabrous, granulose on the angles, red.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Allomorphic ♀ flowers (where present) nodding on the pedicel, obovoid, crowned or not with an apical fimbriate whorl, sparingly to densely pubescent. Female flowers sessile; sepals 3, ovate, 0.3 mm. long; ovary trilobate, 0.5 mm. diameter, tubercled, densely hirsute; styles ± free to the base, 4–5 mm. long, laciniate, red. Male flowers subsessile or shortly pedicellate; buds 4-gonous, glabrous, granulose on the angles, red.
sex Female
Allomorphic ♀ flowers (where present) nodding on the pedicel, obovoid, crowned or not with an apical fimbriate whorl, sparingly to densely pubescent. Female flowers sessile; sepals 3, ovate, 0.3 mm. long; ovary trilobate, 0.5 mm. diameter, tubercled, densely hirsute; styles ± free to the base, 4–5 mm. long, laciniate, red.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits trilobate, 1.5–2 mm. long, 2.5–3 mm. diameter, slightly tuberculate, sparingly hirsute above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid, 1.3 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, smooth, brown, with a small narrow caruncle.
Habitat
Forest undergrowth, edges and associated bushland and grassland, extending into drier country along rivers and in rocky places, also on disturbed ground; 765–3000 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 U3
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0