Acalypha gracilens A. Gray

Slender Three Seed Mercury; Short Stalk Copperleaf

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Slender Three Seed Mercury is a native herbaceous annual in the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It occurs throughout Alabama. Slender Three Seed Mercury occurs in sandy pine and pine-hardwood forests, in dry hardwood forests, on rock outcrops, in prairies, and in disturbed dry areas. It is an annual with a tap root. Stems are erect, pubescent, branched, and green or reddish brown in color. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, elliptic to lanceolate or linear in outline, pubescent, with serrate to sub-entire margins. Flowers are produced in bisexual axillary spikes. The inflorescence is subtended by a leaf-like bract with triangular teeth. Pistillate flowers are basal on the inflorescence. Individual pistillate flowers have 3-5 sepals, no petals, and a 3-locular ovary. Staminate flowers have 4 sepals, no petals, and 8-16 stamens. The fruit is a capsule.—A. Diamond

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Native G5 (Global Rank)

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