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Acalypha godseffiana

Kāpaiē

Copper-leaf Acalypha

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Copper-leaf Acalypha, Lace Acalypha [for cv. "Heterophylla"]

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Kāpaiē (RR AK), Kāpaiē / Kāvaiē? (AT), Kaope Pā (MK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Indonesia - New Guinea, n. to Philippines?

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Ornamental Leaf-H

KEY FEATURES: Shrub to 2.5m with lacy foliage. LEAVES lancelike, deeply dissected, pale green with cream-white margins. var. 'Heterophylla' leaves ragged and narrow, edges wavy and yellow.

Enlarged Image of 'Acalypha godseffiana'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	-	++						-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-			-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Acalypha godseffiana Masters
SYNONYMS: Acalypha godseffiana 'Marginata' [normal variety], Acalypha godseffiana 'Heterophylla' [a narrow-leaved variety]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Euphorbiales; EUPHORBIACEAE. COMMENT: Sometimes listed as a variety of $Acalypha wilkesiana@ A.C.Smith (Flora Vitiensis Nova) maintains it as a separate species, as does Griffiths (Index of Garden Plants).

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.508 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.8 Hortus 3rd
p.8 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.409 Tropica
p.2/527 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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