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.