Common Three-Seed Mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ack-ah-LY-fah rom-BOY-dee-ah
- Description
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Common Three-seed Mercury is an annual native herbaceous plant in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) and occurs in all areas of NC. It is native to the central and eastern USA and into Canada. It can be found in various disturbed areas. The species name means "diamond-shaped" in reference to the leaves.
It prefers sun to light shade and will grow in moist to dry clay, loam or rocky soils. It has a deep tap root, grows 1-2 feet tall and rarely branches
This plant has tiny flowers with large lobed bracts in summer to fall and freely self-seeds. The sap of this plant is clear rather than milky as most spurges have,
It can be weedy and is not recommended for home gardens. Birds will eat the seeds.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Acalypha
- Species:
- rhomboidea
- Family:
- Euphorbiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern Canada, central and eastern U.S.A.
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: NB
- Wildlife Value:
- Seeds are eaten by birds
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Native Plant
- Weed
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- 3 lobes spherical capsule containing three seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- Bracts
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Mid-summer through fall. A 5-9 lobed bract forms around the inflorecese in the axils of the leaves. There are both male and female flowers within the bract without petals or sepals.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Purple/Lavender
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Lanceolate to ovate simple alternate leaves with serrated margins, conspicuous pinnate venation and hairy petioles. 3.5" long and 1" wide. The leaves tend to congregate together near the top of the stems. In the fall leaves can be copper-purple hence the common name.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The central stem is usually unbranched with lines of fine white hairs or just hairy.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Weedy
