Acalypha hispida, the chenille plant, is a flowering shrub which belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, the subfamily Acalyphinae, and the genus Acalypha. Acalypha is the fourth largest genus of the family Euphorbiaceae, and contains many plants native to Hawaii and Oceania.
Names
This plant is also known as the Philippines Medusa, red hot cat's tail and fox tail in English, pokok ekor kucing in Malay, Rabo de Gato in Portuguese, Tai tượng đuôi chồn in Vietnamese, poochavaal in Malayalam and shibjhul in Bengali. Acalypha hispida is cultivated as a house plant because of its attractiveness and brilliantly colored, furry flowers. The Latin specific epithethispida means “bristly”, referring to the pendent flowers which vaguely resemble brushes.
It can grow to be tall, and have a spread of, with potted plants being the smallest in growth. The plant has become somewhat domesticated, due to the nature and color of its flowers. It can be grown from seeds as well as from cuttings. It can be kept either as an outdoor plant or as a houseplant. However, care should be taken in growing it, as all parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested by animals. The plant is dioecious, and therefore there are distinct male and female members of the species. The female plant bears pistillate flowers which are 0.7 millimeters long and range in color from purple to bright red, and grow in clusters along catkins. This feature is the primary reason the plant bears the nickname “red-hot cat tail”. The pistillates will grow all year long as long as the temperatures are favorable. It is an erect shrub of soft stems cultivated by its precious and tiny flowers of a fiery red which in summer hang on pendulous spikes and resemble the tassels of female plants. The leaves are large, oval and bright green to reddish copper.
Chemistry
The clearlatex is poisonous and can irritate the skin and mucous membranes. Roots, leaves and flowers are used for medical purposes. The plant itself is very resistant to diseases, but with a certain vulnerability to aphids, which can colonise it and bring it to death.
Galleries
Image:Acalypha hispida- Chenille plant.JPG|Chenille plant from vamban KVK Image:Katzenschwänzchen - Acalypha hispida.JPG|Katzenschwänzchen - Acalypha hispida Image:Acalypha hispida.jpg|Acalypha hispida File:Acalypha_hispida_-_Blütenstand.jpg|Inflorescence File:Acalypha_hispida_-_Blütenstand_.jpg|Longitudinal section File:Acalypha_hispida_dsc03754.jpg|A shrub in Reunion Island
