Taxon: Acalypha virginica L.

Summary

Genus:

Acalypha

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Subfamily:

Acalyphoideae

Tribe:

Acalypheae

Subtribe:

Acalyphinae

Nomen number:

1049

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 2:1003. 1753, nom. cons.

Comment:

conserved (nom. cons.) with a conserved type (Shenzhen ICN Art. 14.9 & App. IV)

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

05/05/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Autonym(s)
Acalypha virginica L. var. virginica

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)

Links

Forestry Images – from www.forestryimages.org
Seeds or fruits – Seed ID Workshop image, from Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State University

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Brummitt, R. K. 1993. Report of the Committee for Spermatophyta: 39. Taxon 42:876. Note: conservation proposal recommended
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2
Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
Levin, G. A. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. common names
Levin, G. A. 1999. Notes on Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae) in North America. Rhodora 101:231.
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains.
Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967-. The vascular flora of Ohio.
Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
Reveal, J. L. et al. 1990. (981) Proposal to conserve the name and type of Acalypha virginica L. (Euphorbiaceae). Taxon 39:361.
Seymour, F. 1969. The flora of New England.
Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2.
Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
Wofford, B. E. Database of Tennessee vascular plants (on-line resource).

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	Virginia copperleaf	1	Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2
English	Virginia three-seeded-mercury	1	Levin, G. A. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. common names
German	virginisches Kupferblatt	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Iowa		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas	e.	McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska	e.	McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma	e.	McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	South Dakota	s.e.	McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maine		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan	s.e.	Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Hampshire		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio		Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967-. The vascular flora of Ohio.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Rhode Island		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Vermont		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	West Virginia		Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Delaware		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Kentucky		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Louisiana		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina		Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
4	Naturalized					natzd. elsewhere	Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae

Native
Northern America

NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan (s.e.), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa, Kansas (e.), Missouri, Nebraska (e.), Oklahoma (e.), South Dakota (s.e.)]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]

Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere)

Reference(s)

Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains.
Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967-. The vascular flora of Ohio.
Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2.
Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Weed	seed contaminant	potential; of unknown importance	Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=1049. Accessed 11 May 2026.