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Acalypha indica
Also called Indian Acalypha, Indian Nettle, Copperleaf, Three Seeded Mercury
Acalypha indica is a small erect annual herb of the spurge family, known for its catkin-like flower spikes surrounded by cup-shaped bracts. It grows wild throughout the tropics in disturbed, moist, partly shaded places and is rarely grown deliberately.
Acalypha indica (English: Indian acalypha, Indian mercury, Indian copperleaf, Indian nettle, three-seeded mercury) is an herbaceous annual that has catkin-like inflorescences with cup-shaped involucres surrounding the minute flowers. It is mainly known for its root being attractive to domestic cats, and for its various medicinal uses. It occurs throughout the Tropics.
It grows in disturbed places such as waste lands, road sides, crevices in walls. It also grows in rocky hillsides, forest edges and river banks. It prefers moist and shaded places. It grows from sea-level up to 1350 m altitude.
Some of the chemical compounds in Acalypha indica cause dark chocolate-brown discoloration of blood, and gastrointestinal irritation in rabbits. Ingestion of Acalypha indica may lead to hemolysis in people suffering from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Acalyphin is used as a substitute for ipecacuanha, a vermifuge, expectorant and emetic. Acalypha indica leaves are used in the traditional medicine of India as a jaundice remedy.
Acalypha bipartita · Bastard Copperleaf · Acalypha ciliata · Golden falsenettle · Red-hot cat's tail · Acalypha integrifolia · Zambezi Acalypha · Shrubby copperleaf · Acalypha psilostachya · Acalypha villicaulis · Jacob's Coat · Copperleaf
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acalypha indica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
