| Acalypha californica | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Subtribe: | Acalyphinae |
| Genus: | Acalypha |
| Species: | A. californica |
| Binomial name | |
| Acalypha californica (Benth.) | |
The flowering shrub Acalypha californica is known as the California copperleaf, and sometimes by the older name Pringle three-seeded mercury. It is the only Acalypha species native to California, where it is most abundant in the hills of San Diego County. It is a member of the chaparral plant community.
The plant bears hairy, juicy, toothed leaves which despite the plant's common name are light green, never copper in color. Each flower is made up of a staminate part, which appears as a long spike of tiny red and pink bracts, and a pistillate part at the base of the spike, which is a cup made up of green bracts bearing the ovary.
Taxonomy
Acalypha californica was scientifically described and named in 1844 by George Bentham.[2] The specimens he described were collected from Magdalena Bay in November 1837 during a voyage of HMS Sulphur under the command of Edward Belcher.[3] It is classified in the genus Acalypha within the Euphorbiaceae family. The species has no subspecies and has three synonyms.[2]
| Name | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acalypha pringlei S.Watson | 1885 | = het. | |
| Acalypha stokesiae Pax & K.Hoffm. | 1924 | = het. | |
| Ricinocarpus californicus (Benth.) Kuntze | 1891 | ≡ hom. | |
| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym | |||
Range and habitat
California copperleaf is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.[2] In California it grows in just two southern counties, Orange and San Diego counties, while in Arizona it is found in just Pima County.[4] It is native to all four states of northwestern Mexico, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa.[5]
Citations
- NatureServe (1 May 2026). "Acalypha californica". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- POWO (2026). "Acalypha californica Benth". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- Bentham, George; Belcher, Edward (1844). Hinds, Richard Brinsley (ed.). The Botany of the Voyage of H. M. S. Sulphur, Under the Command of Captain Sir Edward Belcher, During the Years 1836-42. Published under the authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. London: Smith, Elder and Co. pp. 2, 4, 51–52. OCLC 741859007. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- NRCS (10 May 2026), "Acalypha californica", PLANTS Database, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Hassler, Michael (30 March 2026). "Acalypha californica in the Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 26.03". World Plants. Retrieved 10 May 2026.