Acalypha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole genus of the subtribe Acalyphinae. It is one of the largest euphorb genera, with approximately 450 to 462 species. The genus name Acalypha is from the Greek akalephes ("nettle"), and was inspired by the nettle-like leaves. General common names include copperleaf.The genus is distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics, with about 60% of species native to the Americas and about 30% in Africa.