''Acalypha rubrinervis'' (string tree or stringwood) is an extinct plant in the spurge family (

Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae (), the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of Euphorbia, the type genus of the family. Most spurges, such as ''Euphorbia paralias'', ar ...

), from the island of

Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

in the South Atlantic Ocean. It was called string tree on account of the thin pendulous inflorescences which resembled red strings. Disturbance following human settlement on the island destroyed its habitat and it was last seen in the 19th century. It is thus one of a number of island plants to have been driven to

extinction Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

by human activity (see List of extinct plants). The genus to which it belongs, '' Acalypha'', is a large one and includes island endemics as well as weeds and ornamentals. ''A. rubrinervis'' was a shrub or thicket growing on the central ridge of St Helena above 600 m elevation. ''Acalypha rubrinervis'' is a shrub or small tree, 1–2 m. Branches with warty leaf-scars. Leaves ovate to broadly triangular-ovate, entire to somewhat wavy-toothed, with 3 veins from the base of the leaf blade 5-7 x 3–5 cm, leaf stalk 2–6 cm. Leaf stalk and veins red. Inflorescence a long spike, male part up to 20 cm, thread-like, gracefully pendulous. ''Acalypha rubrinervis'' is closely related to ''Acalypha reticulata'' of the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

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and Reunion, but it is quite distinct from that species in general appearance, leaf shape, the red colouring, smoot carpels and the very large female bracts. ''Acalypha reticulata'' is immensely variable and has been classified into numerous varieties but none has been seen approaching ''Acalypha rubrinervis''. Dr

William Roxburgh William Roxburgh FRSE FRCPE Linnean Society of London, FLS (3/29 June 1751 – 18 February 1815) was a Scottish people, Scottish surgeon and botanist who worked extensively in India, describing species and working on economic botany. He is known ...

remarked that it was a beautiful small tree, a native of elevated parts of the south face of Diana's Peak, called the string-tree on account of its numerous beautiful red male spikes, which were hanging in great profusion from every twig.

William John Burchell __NOTOC__ William John Burchell (23 July 1781 – 23 March 1863) was an English explorer, naturalist, traveller, artist, and author. His thousands of plant specimens, as well as field journals from his South African expedition, are held by Kew ...

noted it flowering in April and May. Cronk, Q.C.B. (1995). ''The Endemic Flora of St Helena''. Anthony Nelson Ltd., Oswestry.

References

* Extinct plants Plant extinctions since 1500 rubrinervis Flora of Saint Helena Plants described in 1995 {{SaintHelena-stub

See also

References