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Acalypha hispida
Euphorbiaceae FAMILY

Acalypha hispida

Acalypha hispida

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested[1]. The plant contains diterpene esters. Ingestion of the milky sap from the leaves and stems can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, though toxicity is usually low[2]. Skin irritation, however, can be severe. The sap can cause acute dermatitis after contact[2]. Toxic Principle

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
GrowthFast

Prefers a moist but well-drained soil in a sunny or partially shaded position[3]. Succeeds in most soil types, tolerating acidic to slightly alkaline conditions[4]. Thrives in full sunlight[5]. A fast-growing plant[1]. Plants can flower all year round[1]. This species is possibly a dioecious plant, only female forms are known in cultivation[3, 6].

Propagation

Seed - only female forms of this plant are known, so seed is not produced[PFAF]. Cuttings of green shoots[7]. Cuttings of semi-ripe wood[7]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Acalypha+hispida>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Dominica Botanic Gardens — http://www.da-academy.org/trees_shrubs.html ↩︎An on-line resource, providing top quality pictures and some basic information on various plants being grown at the Botanic Gardens, often including uses and habitat.
  2. [2]Poisonous Plants of North Carolina — http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm ↩︎An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes.
  3. [3]Tropical Ornamentals; A Guide — Whistler. W. Arthur. · Timber Press Inc. Oregon. · 2000 · ISBN 0-88192-448-2 ↩︎An excellent little guide to some of the more commonly cultivated ornamental plants of the Tropics, often giving some information on the plants other uses.
  4. [4]Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida — University of Florida · http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ ↩︎PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs.
  5. [5]Edible Leaves of the Tropics — Martin. F. W.; Ruberte. R. M. & Meitzner. L. S. · Echo. USA. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9653360-1-8 ↩︎A terse guide, giving reasonable detail on the more common leaf crops and brief information on a wide range of lesser known plants.
  6. [6]Revision and phylogeny of Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae) in Malesia — Sagun V.G., Levin G.A. & van Welzen P.C. · 2010 · http://10.3767/000651910X499141 ↩︎
  7. [7]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  8. [8]Euphorbiaceae of Malesia — http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/euphorbs/ ↩︎An online resource that is still being developed, it gives detailed botanical descriptions of plants in the family Euphorbiaceae found growing in Malesia (the region from Peninsual Malaysia through Indonesia, the Philippines).
  9. [9]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
  10. [10]Medicinal Plants in Nigeria (website) — Professor Tolu Odugbemi · http://www.medicinalplantsinnigeria.com/uploads/1/7/4/8/17482593/plantsdatabase.xls ↩︎An on-line database, downloadable in .xls format, it has basic information on 628 species of plants
  11. [11]Indian Medicinal Planta — Kirkitar K.R.; Basu B.D. & Indian Civil Service · Sudhindra Nath Basu, BahadurGanj; India · 1918 ↩︎
  12. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎