Botanical studies of the leaf of Acalypha wilkesiana var . macrophylla Family: Euphorbiaceae, cultivated in Egypt

Abstract

Acalypha wilkesiana Muell Arg (Euphorbiaceae). Its common names include copper leaf, Joseph’s coat, fire dragon, beaf steak plant and match-me-if you can. It is a native to Fiji and nearby Islands in the southern pacific and it is a popular outdoor plants that provides colour throughout the year, although it is also grown indoor as a container plant. Acalypha wilkesiana are succulent with sappy stalks which tends to loose sappiness with age, it is round upright in habit, dense and coarse in texture, has a fast growth rate. The present study deals with macro and micro morphological investigation of A. wilkesiana var. macrophylla leaves, which will be greatly helpful in identification and authentication of this plant species. The leaf is microscopically characterized by the presence of paracytic stomata,non-glandular hairs and clusters of calcium oxalate.