Acalypha macrostachya

Native from Mexico through tropical America, this shrub or small tree commonly grows about 7 to 26 feet tall and can occasionally reach 33 feet. It bears long, slender flower spikes beside the leaves, usually with separate male and female flowers on the same plant. The tiny flowers lack petals, while the female flowers have finely branched styles. Small hairy capsules develop within enlarging leafy bracts. In Colombia, it occurs in the Caribbean region and inter-Andean valleys, from sea level to about 7,200 feet. Its wood is used as firewood, and its rapid growth makes it useful for watershed protection. Photographed in Colombia.