Acálypha dikuluwénsis (lat.) - extinct by 2012 [2] species of dicotyledonous plants of the genus Akalifa ( Acalypha ) of the family Euphorbiaceae ( Euphorbiaceae ). First described by botanists Paul Duvigno and Jeanine Devi in 1963 [3] [4] .
| † Acalypha dikuluwensis |
| Scientific classification |
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| View: | † Acalypha dikuluwensis |
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| International scientific name |
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Acalypha dikuluwensis PADuvign. & Dewit , 1963 |
| Security status |
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Extinct speciesIUCN 3.1 Extinct : 195373 |
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A synonym is Acalypha cupricola Robyns [3] .
Content
It is believed that the plant was an endemic of DR Congo (Zaire) [2] , however, individual sources expand the species range to Zambia [5] [6] . In DR Congo, the plant was known from a single plot of 0.1-1 km² in the area of Dikuluwe in the province of Katanga [2] .
Grew on copper outcrops in the savannahs of the Katanga copper belt. Acalypha dikuluwensis was an obvious metallophyte that grew exclusively on soils with a high copper content [2] : in the areas of its growth, the concentration of this metal reached over 2500 ppm, and the plant could withstand a concentration of up to 50,000 ppm [7] . Adaptability to soils enriched with copper among plants is a rather rare phenomenon [2] .
A stalk no more than 25 cm high [7] .
Leaves are broadly to almost rounded [7] .
The fruits are unknown [7] .
It was very close to the species Acalypha clutioides , but differed, in particular, in more dense pubescence, lower density of foliage, and various shapes of lower leaves [7] .
The reason for the disappearance of the species was the destruction of its habitat, caused by mining activity in the places of growth. Since 1959, despite an active search, not a single plant instance has been found in the wild. Since 2012, Acalypha dikuluwensis , according to IUCN, is considered an extinct species (“EX”) [2] .
The plant has never been protected at the state level [2] .
