Acalypha australis

Acalypha australis, commonly known as Asian copperleaf, is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae native to eastern Asia.

Description

Acalypha australis is a herbaceous annual plant, growing tall. Its leaves are oblong to lanceolate, long, wide and borne on petioles long. The flowers are borne in axillary panicles, forming inflorescences long. There are 1–3 female flowers and 5–7 male flowers per bract; the female flowers have three sepals, whereas the male flowers have four.

Distribution and ecology

The native distribution of A. australis covers all of China except Nei Mongol and Xinjiang provinces, and parts of Japan, Korea, Laos, the Philippines, eastern Russia and Vietnam. The species has also been introduced to New [York (state)|New York], Iowa, northern Australia and eastern India.
In its native range, A. australis grows in grasslands and cultivated areas at altitudes of, or exceptionally up to, above [sea level].