Acalypha wilkesiana Muell.-Arg.
| Family: | EUPHORBIACEAE |
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| Sub-Family: | Not available | ||||
| English Name: | Fire Dragon Acalypha | ||||
| Synonym: | Acalypha wilkesiana Muell.-Arg. | ||||
| Common Name: | Beefsteak plant | ||||
| Flowering & Fruiting Period: | October - May | ||||
| Distribution: | Native of Polynesia, widely cultivated as an ornamental taxon | ||||
| Habitat: | Grown as ornamental plant | ||||
| Uses: | Ornamental, Leaves are traditionally used to treat throat infections, diarrhoea, dysentery and fever. | ||||
| Key Characteristics: | Monoecious, compact shrub; branchlets tomentose, puberulous later. Leaves alternate, elliptic to ovate, base cuneate, margin crenate-serrate, bronzy-green-mottled with shades of red and purple; petiole to 12 cm long. Staminate spikes axillary, pendulous, reddish, many-flowered. Flowers in the axils of minute bracts. Perianth 4-lobed, axillary. Stamens 8-16. Pistillate spikes erect, reddish, to 12-flowered. Flowers in the axils of foliaceous; lobes ovate-lanceolate. Ovary 3-lobed, 3-celled, with 1 ovule per cell, on axile placentae. | ||||