Common name: Dwarf Cat Tail, Red cat's tail, Strawberry Foxtail, Dwarf Chenille Plant
Botanical name:Acalypha pendulaFamily:Euphorbiaceae (Castor family) Synonyms: Acalypha chamaedrifolia var. pendula
Dwarf Cat Tail is a trailing herbaceous
perennial, up to 20 cm tall and 45 cm or more wide; lacking latex; fine
texture; medium growth rate. Stems are drooping, spreading and rooting
at nodes. Leaves are simple; alternate, light or dark green (depends on
sun exposure); ovate; velvet-hairy; margins sawtoothed. Flowers are
unisexual; prominent long drooping, stalkless; bright red spike of
female flowers up to 15 cm long and 2.5 cm wide; sepal-cup usually 4,
overlapping (overlapping); apetalous; ovary of 3 carpels; styles
divided into threadlike segments; male flowers (male plants) small;
sepals 4, valvate (edges touching but not overlapping); apetalous;
stamens 8 (male plants are unknown in cultivation). Fruit is small
3-locular capsules. Native habitat: Cuba.
Identification credit: Tabish
Photographed in cultivation in Langol, Manipur.
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The flower labeled Dwarf Cat Tail is ...