Abstract
Acalypha amithii is described and illustrated as a new species from the State of Guerrero, Mexico. Its distribution is restricted to the Pacific slope. Acalypha amithii is morphologically close to the Mesoamerican A. ferdinandi and the South American A. stenoloba. However, it can be distinguished from the former by number of teeth in the bracts of the pistillate flowers (13–15 vs. 7 in the new species) and from the latter by the degree of fusion of the sepals of the pistillate flowers (connate at the base vs. free in the new species). Acalypha amithii is characterized by a suffruticose habit, penninerved leaves, terminal or axillary pistillate inflorescences, sepals of the pistillate flowers completely free and ovate-lanceolate, bracts of the pistillate flowers cuneate at the base, styles glabrous and almost 12 times longer than the ovary.
References
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<p>Cardiel, J.M. (2007) Catálogo de las especies peruanas de <em>Acalypha</em> Linnaeus (Euphorbiaceae). <em>Fontqueria</em> 55: 405–414.</p>
<p>Cardiel, J.M., Dorda, E., Muñoz, P. & Pardo de Santayana, M. (2008) <em>Acalypha taxonomic information system</em>. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid. Available from: http://www.acalypha.es/ (accessed 25 October 2021).</p>
<p>Cardiel, J.M., Nee, M. & Muñoz-Rodríguez, P. (2013) Synopsis of <em>Acalypha</em> L. (Euphorbiaceae) of Peru and Bolivia, with description of a new species. <em>Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid</em> 70: 152–177. https://doi.org/10.3989/ajbm.2366</p>
<p>Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000) <em>World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae)</em>. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1661 pp.</p>
<p>Linnaeus, C. (1753) <em>Species Plantarum</em>. L. Salvius, Stockholm, 1200 pp.</p>
<p>Martínez-Gordillo, M., Jiménez, J., Cruz, R., Juárez, E., García, R., Cervantes, A. & Mejía, R. (2002) Los géneros de la familia Euphorbiaceae en México. <em>Anales del Instituto de Biología. Serie Botánica</em> 73: 197–219.</p>
<p>McVaugh, R. (1961) Euphorbiaceae novae Novo-Galicianae. <em>Brittonia </em>13: 145–205. https://doi.org/10.2307/2805352</p>
<p>Müller-Argoviensis, J. (1865) Euphorbiaceae. Vorläufige Mittheilungen aus dem für DeCandolle‘s Prodromus bestimmten Manuscript über diese Familie. <em>Linnaea </em>34: 1–752.</p>
<p>Müller-Argoviensis, J. (1872) Euphorbiacearum species novae. <em>Flora </em>55: 2–11, 24–28, 41–45.</p>
<p>Pax, F. & Hoffmann, K. (1924) Euphorbiaceae-Acalypheae-Acalyphinae-Additamentum VII-Phyllanthoideae-Crotonoideae.<em> In: </em>Engler, A. (ed.) <em>Das Pflanzenreich</em> IV. 147. XVI–XVII. Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig, pp. 1–231.</p>
<p>Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2001) <em>Genera Euphorbiacearum</em>. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, 455 pp.</p>
<p>Rzedowski, G.C. & Rzedowski, J. (2001) <em>Flora fanerogámica del Valle de México</em>. Instituto de Ecología A. C. & Comisión Nacional para el Estudio de la Biodiversidad, Patzcuaro, 1406 pp.</p>
<p>Schlechtendal, D.F.L. (1846 [1847]) Plantae Leiboldianae: Dicotyleae. <em>Linnaea </em>19: 234–320.</p>
<p>Seberg, O. (1984) Taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus <em>Acalypha</em> (Euphorbiaceae) in the Galápagos Archipielago. <em>Nordic Journal of Botany</em> 4: 159–190. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1984.tb01485.x</p>
<p>Standley, P.C. (1923) Trees and Shrubs of México. <em>Contributions from the United States National Herbarium</em> 23: 1–1721.</p>
<p>Steinmann, V.W. (2002) Diversidad y endemismo de la familia Euphorbiaceae en México. <em>Acta Botánica Mexicana</em> 61: 6193. https://doi.org/10.21829/abm61.2002.909</p>
<p>Tokuoka, T. (2007) Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Euphorbiaceae <em>sensu stricto</em> based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences and ovule and seed character evolution. <em>Journal of Plant Research</em> 120: 511–522. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-007-0090-3</p>
<p>Webster, G.L. (1994) Synopsis of the genera and suprageneric taxa of Euphorbiaceae. <em>Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden</em> 81: 33–144. https://doi.org/10.2307/2399909</p>
<p>Wurdack, K.J. & Davis, C.C. (2009) Malpighiales phylogenetics: Gaining ground on one of the most recalcitrant clades in the angiosperm tree of life. <em>American Journal of Botany</em> 96: 1551–1570. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.0800207</p>