Fire dragon acalypha
Acalypha amentacea

Family: Euphorbiaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

It is used as medicine.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows on atolls.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Caroline Islands, Central America, Costa Rica, Colombia, East Africa, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Micronesia, Mozambique, New Guinea, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, South America, St Helena, West Africa

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Vegetable, caution

How it is grown

It can be grown from stem cuttings. It can be grown as a hedge.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Acalypha affinis Klotzsch; Acalypha amboinensis Benth.; Acalypha amentacea var. amentacea; Acalypha centromalayca Pax & K.Hoffm.; Acalypha glandulosa Blanco [Illegitimate]; Acalypha grandis var. amboinensis (Benth.) Müll.Arg.; Acalypha luzonica Pax & K.Hoffm.; Acalypha meyeri Pax & K.Hoffm.; Acalypha philippinensis Müll.Arg.; Acalypha stipulacea Klotzsch; Acalypha warburgii Pax & K.Hoffm.; Achyranthes spiciflora Burm.; Ricinocarpus blancoanus Kuntze; Ricinocarpus stipulaceus (Klotzsch) Kuntze;