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Key to Acalypha

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1 Shrubs, 20-50 dm tall; [peninsular FL]
1 Herbs, 1-8 dm tall; [collectively widespread].
..2 Plants with terminal inflorescences bright red, the flowers lacking ovaries and with 5-8 styles in place of stamens
..2 Plants with terminal or axillary inflorescences green, yellowish, red-tinged, with unisexual, functional flowers.
....3 Bracts of pistillate flowers either with linear tips or lobes longer then the broad basal portion, or the entire bract linear.
......4 Pistillate inflorescences with the bracts densely crowded, completely hiding the inflorescence axis; bracts of pistillate flowers with lobes consisting of deltate bases bearing long linear tips, long-hirsute with nonglandular hairs to 2 mm long.
........5 Hairs of the stems, petioles, and peduncles gland-tipped; pistillate inflorescences terminal, staminate inflorescences axillary; styles usually unbranched (rarely bifid)
........5 Hairs of the stems, petioles, and peduncles eglandular; pistillate, bisexual, and staminate inflorescences axillary; styles multi-branched
......4 Pistillate inflorescences with the bracts loosely arranged, the axis visible between the bracts; bracts of pistillate flowers with the lobes linear throughout, glabrous or pubescence with nonglandular hairs < 0.25 mm long (glandular hairs may be longer).
..........6 Leaves cordate at base; fruit tuberculate, but not pubescent
..........6 Leaves rounded to widely cuneate at base; fruit pubescent with pustular-based trichomes
....3 Bracts of the pistillate flowers with deltate or lanceolate tips or lobes.
............ 7 Inflorescences (all or some) terminal.
............ ..8 Stems erect; leaf blades 2-6 cm long
............ ..8 Stems prostrate to ascending; leaf blades 0.3-2.5 cm long.
............ ....9 Petioles 1-5 mm long; inflorescences all terminal and bisexual; [FL]
............ ....9 Petioles 4-25 mm long; inflorescences both terminal (these staminate, pistillate, or bisexual) and axillary (these pistillate); [c. and s. TX and southwestwards].
............ ......10 Leaf blades with shallowly crenate margins; pistillate bract lobes comprising about 25% of the overall bract length
............ ......10 Leaf blades with deeply crenate margins; pistillate bract lobes comprising about 50% of the overall bract length
............ 7 Inflorescences all axillary.
............ ........11 Pistillate bracts 4-5 mm long
............ ........11 Pistillate bracts 6-15 (-20) mm long.
............ ..........12 Lobes of the pistillate bracts rounded, comprising ca. 5% of the overall length of the bract
............ ..........12 Lobes of the pistillate bracts deltate, triangular, or lanceolate, comprising 10-75% of the overall length of the bract.
............ ............ 13 Leaves 3-6× as long as wide, the largest < 2 cm wide; pistillate bracts with sessile glands; pistillate bract lobes making up 10-25% of the overall bract length.
............ ............ ..14 Pistils 3-carpellate; seeds 1.1-1.9 mm long; [widespread in our area]
............ ............ ..14 Pistils 1-carpellate; seeds 1.6-2.4 mm long; [IL and se. IA south through MO, KS, AR, and OK to w. LA and e. and c. TX]
............ ............ 13 Leaves 1.5-2.8× as long as wide, the largest > 2 cm wide; pistillate bracts lacking sessile glands; pistillate bract lobes making up 25-75% of the overall bract length.
............ ............ ....15 Lower surfaces of pistillate bracts hirsute and sometimes also stipitate-glandular; stems hirsute; pistillate bracts (9-) 10-14 (16)-lobed
............ ............ ....15 Lower surfaces of pistillate bracts sparsely pubescent (sometimes stipitate-glandular); stems with only short, incurved hairs; pistillate bracts (5-) 7-9 (-11)-lobed.
............ ............ ......16 Fruit 2-seeded; seeds 2.4-3.2 mm long
............ ............ ......16 Fruit 3-seeded; seeds 1.2-2.0 mm long
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