Wiry herb to 30 cm high. Leaf blade ovate, 15-60 mm long, 6-42 mm wide; upper surface more or less hispid, lower surface softly hairy; venation palminerved with 7 veins from base and with 3 or 4 lateral veins per side of midrib further up blade; margins shallowly scalloped; tip acute; base wedge-shaped to rounded. Inflorescences axillary and solitary, racemose, usually unisexual. Female flowers with styles red, 5-7 mm long.

A. australis L. from Asia and Malesia occurs as an occasional garden weed. It is a wiry herb to 150 mm high. Leaf blade ovate to obovate, 9-85 mm long, 5-40 mm wide; upper and lower surfaces becoming hairless; venation palmate, with 3 veins from base and with 2-4 lateral veins per side of midrib further up blade; margins shallowly scalloped; tip acute; base wedge-shaped. Inflorescences axillary and solitary, racemose to spike-like. Female flowers with styles 1-2.5 mm long, clear to brownish.

Asia.

Source: Forster, P. (2002). Euphorbiaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press. (as Acalypha reptans)