Acalypha bipartita facts for kids

Acalypha bipartita is a type of plant in the Euphorbiaceae family. This plant grows widely across Africa. People often eat its leaves as a vegetable. It is also used to feed animals. The leaves are very healthy because they have a lot of calcium.

You can often find Acalypha bipartita growing under trees in forests. It also grows at the edges of forests and in grassy areas with trees. It is common in countries like Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, eastern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. People sometimes use the stems of this plant to make baskets.

About the Plant

A. bipartita is a climbing shrub. This means it is a woody plant that can grow up other plants or structures. It often reaches about 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) tall. The plant has light brown bark.

Its leaves are wide and shaped like an egg (ovate). The edges of the leaves are serrated, which means they look like tiny saw teeth. The underside of the leaves feels soft because it is covered in fine hairs (pubescent).

The plant produces small red flowers. These flowers grow on spikes that are 4 to 8 centimeters long. After the flowers, the plant makes seeds. These seeds are found inside small capsules, usually three seeds per capsule.

See also

In Spanish: Acalypha bipartita para niños