Acalypha eremorum Mull.Arg.

Euphorbiaceae

Mueller Argoviensis, J. von (1864) Flora oder Allgemeine Botanische Zeitung 47: 440. Type: Queensland, Burdekin River, F. Mueller?; lecto: MEL 707681. Fide Forster (1994).

Native Acalypha; Acalypha

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-2 m tall.

Leaf bearing twigs marked by pale longitudinally elongated lenticels. Most leaves borne on minute, lateral, burr-like, short shoots. Leaf blades small, about 17-30 x 6-8 mm, margins deeply crenate, petiole about 1-2 mm long. Lateral veins forming distinct loops inside the blade margin. Stipules linear, to 2.1 mm long.

Males flowers: Flowers in spikes about 20-40 mm long. Flowers about 0.5-0.9 mm diam. aggregated in clusters along the spike. Petals absent. Anther filaments flattened, about 0.3 mm long. Anthers pale, bilobed, anther sacs divaricate. Female flowers: Flowers sessile and solitary. Style divided into three branches each about 3-5 mm long, each style branch divided into two stigmatic branches. Ovary clothed in straight needle-like hairs.

Fruits depressed globose, about 1.5-2 x 2.5-3 mm. Seeds globose to ovoid, about 1.7-1.8 x 1 mm. Testa brown, minutely punctate. Embryo small, cotyledons longer than the radicle.

Features not available.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far south as south-eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 600 m. Grows in open forest but more commonly found in monsoon forest and vine thickets.

Acalypha eremorum Mull.Arg. var. eremorum, Adansonia 6: 317(1866). Acalypha eremorum var. sessilis Baill., Adansonia 6: 317(1866), Type: Queensland, Burdekin River, F. Mueller; holo: G_DC? Fide Forster (1994). Acalypha sp. Pandanus Creek (B.Gray 6445).