Deam's Mercury (Acalypha deamii (Weath.) H.E. Ahles)
Also known as Deam's copperleaf, Deam's two-seeded mercury, Deam's threeseed mercury, large-seeded copperleaf, large-seeded mercury.
↑Summary
A rare annual of disturbed sites in floodplain forests, native to a narrow range in the eastern US.
↑Range - Expand
| Legend | Color |
| Native | |
| Native or Not Present |
This map is based on our research. We have checked its accuracy to Level 3 ecoregions. Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.
Although this species seems to cover a broad range, it is rare and scattered throughout its range; relatively most abundant in Illinois and Virginia.
↑Similar Plants
↑Habitat
This plant is rare to uncommon in most of its range, and is usually found in bottomland woods, particularly in floodplains of streams and rivers, often along paths and clearings in these woods. It is usually found on areas that are subject to periodic flooding that deposits sand, silt, and gravel and it often occurs on areas where such flooding has deposited new soil and removed much of the competing vegetation. It is even rarer, but possible on moist sites in upland woods.
Although it tolerates flooding, it is limited to soil textures that are well-drained, typically with a mixture of gravel, sand, and silt, often with some loamy material. It is however absent from areas where soils are exclusively formed on coarse sands. It probably prefers soil pH to be near neutral.
This species has been negatively affected by the introduction of invasive plants. In general it is not competetive against other vegetation, even native plants, and relies on disturbance, mostly from flooding to maintain its populations.
↑Life Cycle
This species is a warm-season annual. Seeds germinate in late spring when temperatures warm. Germination is often triggered by a disturbance that exposes the soil.
Plants flower in late summer with seeds maturing in fall.
↑Links & External Resources
• Acalypha deamii (Deam's Mercury) | Illinois Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Acalypha deamii (Deam's threeseed mercury) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)
• Acalypha deamii | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)
• Acalypha deamii (Weath.) Ahles | Plants of the World Online (POWO) (About This Site)
• Acalypha deamii | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)
• Acalypha deamii | Flora of North America (About This Site)
• Acalypha deamii | Missouri Plants (About This Site)
• Acalypha deamii (Weatherby) Ahles (Deam's Copperleaf, Big-seeded Copperleaf, Two-seeded Copperleaf) | Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (About This Site)
↑Photo gallery
