Scientific Name:
Acalypha hispida
Pronunciation:
ack-uh-LIFE-uh HISS-pih-duh
Common Name:
chenille plant
Family Name:
Euphorbiaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering pot plant
Key ID Features:
Upright shrub 1-3m tall; stems lined with fine hairs; leaves ovate, most 10-14cm long x 7-10cm wide, dark green, margins toothed, petioles 4-8cm long; spikes axillary, pendulous, red, fuzzy,15-30(-50)cm long with hundreds of tiny florets.
Habit:
Open, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China (Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant, Medicinal plant (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to Amaranthus caudatus (may look similar).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Heavily veined, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Rounded
Margins:
Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Spike-like
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Stipule, leafy
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings, Stem tip cuttings
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
Medium
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Mites, Thrips
Course(s):
- HORT 1193/1293
Location(s):
- (BED) BEDding, container, or basket
- (GNH) GreeNHouse