Three-Seeded Mercuries
ExplorePlants
Three-Seeded Mercuries
acalypha
The Three-Seeded Mercuries is a fascinating plant that produces tiny, three-seeded pods. Kids will love exploring its unique leaves and vibrant green color!
Habitat: Gardens, parks, and open fields.
Appearance
The Three-Seeded Mercuries has distinctive rhomboid or oval leaves with serrated edges, often a muted green. It produces inconspicuous greenish flower spikes in leaf axils. Its most notable feature is the small, three-lobed seed capsule, which can sometimes have a reddish tint.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderMalpighialesFamilyEuphorbiaceaeGenusAcalypha
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Its common name comes from its seed pods, which usually hold exactly three tiny seeds!
Some call it 'Mercury-weed' because it shows up almost everywhere humans disturb soil!
The plant’s Latin name, Acalypha, means 'nettle,' even though it doesn't sting!
You can often find this adaptable plant popping up in gardens and along roadsides!
Special abilities
Ability
Explosive Seeds
Three-Seeded Mercuries can launch its tiny seeds from its capsules with a mini-explosion to spread widely!
Ability
Wind Whisperer
Three-Seeded Mercuries has tiny, subtle flowers that catch the wind's currents to spread pollen efficiently.
Ability
Hardy Pioneer
Three-Seeded Mercuries can thrive in disturbed soils, helping it colonize new areas quickly.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 10-50 cm
- Spread
- 15-30 cm
- Flower Size
- 0.1-0.5 cm
- Bloom Season
- Summer, Fall
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- None
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Pollination Method
- Wind
Ecological connections
eats
Red-legged Grasshopper
Melanoplus femurrubrum
Feeds on its leaves
eats
White-footed Mouse
Peromyscus leucopus
Consumes its small seeds
eats
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Forages for its seeds
Traits
Solitary
Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Herbivorous
This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Pollinator
Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.
Also known as
Acalypha PlantSeeded MercuryThree-Seed Mercury
Collections
Safety
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Three-Seeded Mercuries?
10-50 cm
How wide does Three-Seeded Mercuries spread?
15-30 cm
How big are the flowers on Three-Seeded Mercuries?
0.1-0.5 cm
When does Three-Seeded Mercuries bloom?
Summer, Fall
Is Three-Seeded Mercuries edible?
No
Is Three-Seeded Mercuries toxic?
None
What is Three-Seeded Mercuries's lifecycle?
Annual
How is Three-Seeded Mercuries pollinated?
Wind
Snap Map
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