Acalypha indica L., Euphorbiaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: hierba del cancer

Chinese: re dai tie xian cai

English: Indian acalypha, Indian-nettle, copperleaf, three-seeded-mercury

French: herbe chatte

Niuean: hongohongo, ogoogo, ongoongo

Spanish: hierba de cancer, ricinela

Habit:  herb

Description:  "A small erect herb up to 60 cm tall or a little more, with a few ascending branches, these angled and pubescent; leaves broadly ovate, subdeltoid, rather coarsely toothed, on petioles as long as or longer than the 3-5 cm long blades; nerves 3-5 from base, thereafter pinnately arranged; stipules minute; flowers sessile on erect axillary spikes longer than the leaf; male flowers minute, crowded distally; stamens 8, female flowers scattered along the inflorescence axis, each subtended by a conspicuous semicupular foliaceous toothed green bract nearly 7 mm long; capsule hispid, 1 mm broad, 3-locular" (Stone, 1970; p. 367).

Habitat/ecology:  "Occasional in disturbed and cultivated places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 17). In Guam, "abundant in waste ground and in towns" (Stone, 1970; p. 367).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Africa, southern Asia to the Philippines; Taiwan (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Anon. (1988) (p. 1)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Alamagan Island	introduced	Ohba, T. (1994) (p. 59) Voucher cited: CBM-BS-58955
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 132)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1966) (voucher ID: PTBG 23813) Taxon name on voucher: Acalypha indica
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 41)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Saipan	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 132)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 367) Voucher cited: Stone 4001 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 132)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1966) (voucher ID: PTBG 23418) Taxon name on voucher: Acalypha indica
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1968) (voucher ID: PTBG 23419) Taxon name on voucher: Acalypha indica
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced abo. intro.	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 210) Mistakenly identified as Laportea interrupta in Sykes per Whistler (1988). Vouchers cited: CHR 169839, CHR 169840, CHR 169841.
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 17)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2000) (p. 26) Voucher: Flynn 6694 (PTBG, DAV, NIUE)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 49) Mistakenly identified as Laportea interrupta per Whistler (1988). Voucher cited: Yuncker 10235 (BISH) "Occasional in waste areas and clearings".
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 38)
Niue Niue	Niue Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2000) (voucher ID: PTBG 30194) Taxon name on voucher: Acalypha indica L.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 132)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 103)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 66)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. (1996) (p. 27)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 446) A weed in and about towns, in thickets, waste places, etc.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 41446) Taxon name on voucher: Acalypha indica L.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 17)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Grasslands, wastelands, roadsides; below 100 m. E. Hainan
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 176) Ornamental.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 186)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	uncertain if introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 9) Weed of uncertain origin
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Grasslands, wastelands, roadsides; below 100 m.
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced invasive	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 102)
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1993) (p. 37)
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	native	Williams, D. G. (1994) (p. 22)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island		Stoddart, D. R./Taylor, J. D., eds. (1971) (p. 151) Voucher cited: Bourne 34 (K)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. Arthur (1996) (p. 27)
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Maldives Maldive Islands	Malè Atoll		Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 23)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Agalega Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Stoddart, D. R. (1983) (p. 121)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Alphonse Island		Robertson, I. A. D./Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 180) Voucher cited: Robertson 2853 (K)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Coetivy Island		Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 149) Voucher cited: Robertson 3146 (K)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Cousin Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 27) Voucher cited: Fosberg 52070 (US)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Desnoeufs Island		Wilson, J. R. (1983) (p. 208)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 50) Voucher cited: Robertson 2716
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Marie-Louise Island		Wilson, J. R. (1983) (p. 191)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Platte Island		Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 160) Voucher cited: Robertson 3044 (K)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Poivre Island		Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 170) Voucher cited: Robertson 2380 (K)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Acalypha indica, please let us know.