VIRGINIA COPPERLEAF, Acalypha virginica L. 1, plant in flower; 2, section of stem with flowers; 3, flower surrounded at base by deeply notched leaflike structure; 4, seed. Annual, reproducing by seed. Taproot shallow. Stems hairy, 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 cm) tall, frequently branched at base and spreading over the ground. Leaves egg-shaped, on long petioles; the lower leaves arranged in pairs on stems, the upper ones alternate. Flowers in clusters, small, borne in leaf axils in upper portion of stems and branches. Male and female flowers separate but borne together. Seed pod containing 3 seeds, surrounded with deeply cut leaflike structure. Seeds egg-shaped, small, dull reddish-brown to gray with reddish-brown spots. Found in wasteland, grassland, and cultivated fields. Seed occasionally mixed in crop seeds.