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• Euphorbiaceae
• Acalypha
• Acalypha virginica

Acalypha virginica — Virginia three-seeded-Mercury

Facts

Virginia three-seeded-Mercury reaches the northeastern limit of its range in New England, and is rare in some states.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, woodlands

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Anther tube length

  0 mm

  Calyx growth after flowering

  the calyx grows to cover or partially cover the fruit

  Calyx symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)

  Carpels fused

  the carpels are fused to one another

  Cilia on petals

  NA

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  NA

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium

  Flower petal color

  NA

  Flower reproductive parts

  the flower has either only pollen- or only seed-producing parts

  Flower symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  • the flower has two or more completely separate styles
  • the style is branched above the base

  Fringed petal edges

  NA

  Fused stamen clusters

  NA

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower does not have a hypanthium

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Interior flower disk

  the flower does not have an interior disc

  Length of peduncle

  0 mm

  Marks on petals

  NA

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of branches in umbel

  0

  Number of carpels

  3

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  • there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
  • there are three petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  3

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals

  Petal and sepal colors

  green to brown

  Petal appearance

  NA

  Petal base

  NA

  Petal folds or pleats

  NA

  Petal glandular dots or scales

  NA

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal hairs on inner/upper surface

  NA

  Petal length

  0 mm

  Petal length relative to sepals

  NA

  Petal nectaries

  NA

  Petal number

  0

  Petal shape

  NA

  Petal tip shape

  NA

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Petal width

  0 mm

  Raceme attachment (Veronica)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  each flower has only carpels or only stamens, but both types of flower are present on each plant (monoecious)

  Scales inside corolla

  NA

  Sepal and petal color

  NA

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal color

  • green to brown
  • yellow

  Sepal number

  4

  Sepal texture

  the sepals are either very thin but flexible, like a membrane, or they are leaf-like in texture

  Stamen number

  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13 or more
  • 8
  • 9

  Stamen position relative to petals

  NA

  Stamen relative length

  anything

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Style relative length

  NA

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  NA

  Achene shape

  NA

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  NA

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  • NA
  • the capsule splits by three main valves, teeth or pores

  Carpel beak length

  0 mm

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit length relative to sepals

  the fruit is shorter than its associated sepals

  Fruit locules

  three

  Fruit shape

  the fruit is spherical

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)

  Hairs on fruit

  the fruits have hairs on them

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  NA

  Mericarp length

  anything

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Ovary stipe

  the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe

  Ovary stipe length

  0 mm

  Placenta arrangement

  • the plant has apical placentation, where one or a few ovules develop at the top of a simple or compound ovary
  • the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  anything

  Seed length

  1.2–1.8 mm

  Seed number

  3

  Seed relative length

  the seed is longer than it is wide

  Seed surface

  the seed is smooth or without clear markings

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Wings on fruit

  the fruit does not have wings on it

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)

  Lifespan

  the plant lives only a single year or less

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

  Underground organs

  there is a thickened taproot on the plant

• Leaves

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)

  0

  Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Floral bract texture

  the floral bracts are green, with a leaf-like texture

  Floral bracts

  the flower has one or more bracts associated with it

  Flower bract length

  8–14 mm

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  • the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
  • the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Hairs on upper side of leaf

  • the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
  • the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

  Leaf blade base shape

  • the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
  • the base of the leaf blade is rounded

  Leaf blade base symmetry

  the leaf blade base is symmetrical

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade has teeth

  Leaf blade hairs

  the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly

  Leaf blade length

  20–100 mm

  Leaf blade primary vein pattern

  the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the primary vein

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf blade vein pattern

  the major veins of the leaf blade branch, but do not rejoin

  Leaf blade veins

  the leaf blade has three or more main veins that start at or near the leaf blade base and run from the base towards the tip (it may or may not have secondary veins)

  Leaf blade width

  8–20 mm

  Leaf duration

  the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf stalk

  the leaves have leaf stalks

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade

  Leaf stalk base

  the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem

  Leaf stalk length

  8–40 mm

  Leaf teeth and lobes

  the leaf blade margin has rounded teeth

  Leaf tip

  the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)

  Leaf type

  the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaf types

  There is a gradual change in appearance of the leaves from the base (or near the base) of the plant to those from further up on the stem, with leaves progressively changing as one moves higher on the stem (often becoming shorter, or less toothed/lobed, and/or with shorter petioles).

  Leaf variation

  the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem

  Leaflet number

  0

  Leaflet petiolules

  NA

  Leaves per node

  there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Pinnately compound leaf type

  NA

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Stipels

  NA

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipule shape

  the stipules are lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)

  Stipules

  the plant has stipules

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields
  • shores of rivers or lakes
  • woodlands

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant does not have much of a smell

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Direction of stem hairs

  • the hairs are pressed flat against the plant, pointing towards the plant's tip
  • the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards

  Hair between stem nodes

  the stem has hairs between the nodes

  Hairs between stem nodes

  the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled

  Hooked hairs on stem between nodes

  no

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Plant height

  10–50 cm

  Stem orientation

  the stems are upright or angled outwards

  Stem roughness between nodes

  the stem does not feel rough

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

  Wings on stem

  the stem does not have wings on it

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae