Welcome to Catnapin's
Weed Gallery
Euphorbia - Copperleaf
The flower parts of the Euphorbiaceae family are complex. What looks like a flower petal is made up of the nectar gland and the gland appendage. The nectar glands attract and reward insects to pollinate. From the center of the "flower" a single, 3 lobed pod grows out on a stem. Be careful. Many Euphorbs have a milky sap that can irritate your skin.
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Euphorbiaceae - Spurge family
Shrubby Copperleaf Acalypha phleoides (A. lindheimeri)
Flower spike about 2" long. Red male flowers are above female flowers, which are just the fuzzy parts. Plant grows to about 2 feet tall.
Photos taken in Val Verde County, Texas, August 2005 (after a wet summer)
(Native of Texas)
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Euphorbiaceae - Spurge family
Slender One-seed Copperleaf Acalypha gracilens var. monococca (Acalypha monococca)
Tiny flowers on a stick protrude out of the toothed bracts that enclose the three round seeds. Leaves up to 2" long. Leaves, bracts, and stem can be green to copper-red. Stem to 16" tall, simple or branching, grows from taproot with fibrous roots.
Photos taken in Van Zandt County, Texas, November 2006
(Native of east Texas)