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Acalypha godseffiana 'Heterophylla'
| Family Name: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Synonyms: | Acalypha wilkesiana var. godseffiana, Acalypha godseffiana var. heterophylla, Acalypha wilkesiana 'Fierstorm' |
| Common Name: | Copper Leaf, Firestorm, Dwarf Acalypha, Match-me-if-you-can, Three-seeded Mercury, Jacobs Coat, Fire Dragon, Beefsteak Plant, 細葉鐵莧 |
Acalypha godseffiana 'Heterophylla' is a fast-growing ornamental shrub that is often cultivated for its attractive dark green leaves with pink margins. This shrub can grow under partial shade but best under full sun to develop vibrant colours on the leaves.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Shrub |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Shrubby |
| Maximum Height | 4 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | East Indies & the Pacific |
|---|
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | A fast-growing, clumping, medium-sized to tall shrub that is often grown for its beautiful foliage of juxtaposing dark green leaves with striking pink margins. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | Leaves simple, alternate, dark green, narrowly elliptic, with pink, wavy or toothed margins. |
| Stems | Stems woody, brown; young stems pale green with a tinge of pink, herbaceous |
| Flowers | Inflorescences inconspicuous, pinkish green, in axillary spikes, up to 18 cm long; flowers white, corolla absent; calyx small; sepals inconspicuous; male spikes generally with more flowers; female spikes with less flowers, each of which is borne in a bract. |
| Fruit | Fruits in a form of capsules. |
| Cultivation | It can take full sun or partial shade but requires the former to develop vibrant colours on foliage. Specimens grown under shade will not be as colourful. A fast-growing shrub, it likes well-drained soil with regularly sprinkled with organic matter. Careful and occasional pruning is required to prevent them from becoming leggy. Propagate by cuttings, which can be done with ease. |
| Etymology | The genus epithet 'Acalypha' was indirectly named by a Greek physician (ca. 460 - 370 B.C.), who was known as the 'father of medicine' and gave the name 'acalephe' to a nettle he described. It was then transferred by latter-day botanists to this group of plants in the spurge family, which means 'a stinging nettle', in reference to the irritating sap produced by plants of this genus. The species epithet 'godseffiana' honours after Joseph Godseff (ca. 1846 - 1921), a plant collector for the English nursery trade. Its cultivar epithet derives from two Greek words 'heteros', meaning 'different', and 'phylla' meaning 'leaves', in reference to its greatly erratic formation of irregular, shaggy, wide to narrow leaves displayed on each plant. |
Landscaping Features
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Foliage |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | General, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens |
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun, Semi-Shade |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Fast |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Easy to Grow, Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils |
| Propagation Method | Stem Cutting |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green, Red, Pink |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Prominent Young Flush Colour(s) | Green, Pink |
| Young Flush Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Elliptical) |
| Foliar Venation | Pinnate / Net |
| Foliar Margin | Entire - Wavy / Undulate |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Acute |
| Foliar Base | Acute |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 4.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Dicot) |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower Colour(s) | White |
|---|---|
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Inflorescence Type | Spike |
Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 289 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 1585 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
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