Latin Name	Observation Date	Location
*Acalypha indica*	July 07, 2026	Natore, Bangladesh

A common but very characteristic tree is often seen in the wastelands or roadsides around our homes. This tree in your wonderful photos is called 'Indian acalypha', 'Indian copperleaf' or 'Indian nettle' in English. However, it has a very interesting name in Bengali. Since local cats are very attracted to the roots of this tree, it is called 'Biral Haanchi' or 'Biralakanduni' in Bengali.

Scientific name:

According to the scientific classification of botany, this tree has a specific scientific name. Its scientific name or binomial name is Acalypha indica.

Family and Genus:

According to the higher classification, it is a member of the Plantae kingdom of the plant kingdom. It is basically a plant belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family and its genus or genus name is Acalypha.

Size and Physical Structure:

It is basically an annual herbaceous plant, which can grow up to 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) tall in favorable conditions, but is usually slightly smaller. The leaves of this plant are broadly ovate, ranging from 1.2 to 6.5 centimeters long and 1 to 4 centimeters wide. The petioles of the leaves can be 1.5 to 5.5 centimeters long. Its flowers bloom in spikes, with very small whitish-green male flowers at the top of the plant and green female flowers at the bottom. Its fruits are very small and 3-lobed.

Habitat and Habitat:

These plants usually prefer to grow in slightly damp and shady places. They can be easily seen growing on roadsides, cracks in walls, forest edges, river banks and any wasteland. Geographically, it is widely distributed in the Old World tropics, India, Southeast Asia, Yemen, and various parts of Africa.

Effect on cats:

The most striking aspect of this plant is its strong effect on cats. Like catnip, it also attracts cats strongly, but its effect is much stronger than catnip. This plant contains a type of iridoid compound called 'isodihydronepetalactone', the smell of which makes cats get drunk and start playing with its roots.

Use as food:

In some countries, its use is quite exceptional. In some parts of India and Africa, this plant is also eaten as a vegetable or vegetable. However, special precautions need to be taken while cooking it, because it contains ingredients such as alkaloids and hydrocyanic acid.

Benefits:

This plant has been widely used in folk and herbal medicine in various countries since ancient times. In India's traditional Tamil Siddha medicine, this plant is used to rejuvenate the body. In Mauritius, its leaf juice mixed with salt is used to treat scabies and other skin diseases. In addition, its root extract is very useful in treating asthma, intestinal worms and stomach pain. In Madagascar, the crushed plant is used to control skin parasites and in East Africa, its leaf juice is used to treat eye infections. It is listed as an expectorant in the Indian Pharmacopoeia for the treatment of asthma and pneumonia. In India, its leaves are used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of jaundice.

Harmfulness:

Despite having so many medicinal properties, the plant has some harmful aspects or harms. This plant contains a cyanogenic glycoside called acalyphin. People who are deficient in the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) may experience serious health risks such as hemolysis, or the breakdown of red blood cells, if they consume this plant in any form.

I hope you like the information.

I learned about them from various sites including iNaturalist, Wikipedia and Google.

_{*(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.) *}

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Camera Used	Samsung SM-G973F
F-Stop	F2.4
ISO speed	ISO
Focal length	26mm
Flash	No
Editing app	no
Photography	(Acalypha indica)
Photographer	@mshbd
Location	Natore, Bangladesh