Native to Malaysia or western Melanesia, abundant in home gardens or other cultivated areas, This medium to large shrub, known in English as "copperleaf" or "Joseph's coat," can grow to 2-5 m (6-15 ft). It produces curved, green to reddish leaves, 10-20 cm (4-8 in) long with serrated edges and blotches. The small, petal-less male and female flowers are borne on narrow spikes. Each female flower grows from the axil of a bright red bract on a nearly erect spike; male flowers are produced in narrower, longer, hanging "strings" among lower leaves on the same shrub.

Description: This medium to large shrub, known in English as "copperleaf" or "Joseph's coat," can grow to 2-5 m (6-15 ft). It produces curved, green to reddish leaves, 10-20 cm (4-8 in) long with serrated edges and blotches. The small, petal-less male and female flowers are borne on narrow spikes. Each female flower grows from the axil of a bright red bract on a nearly erect spike; male flowers are produced in narrower, longer, hanging "strings" among lower leaves on the same shrub.

Distribution: Native to Malaysia or western Melanesia, this plant was probably introduced to some tropical Pacific islands in the pre-European contact period by early voyagers; however, it may have arrived in [Chuuk] in more recent times. This tree is now common to abundant in home gardens or other cultivated areas in [Chuuk].

 

This ornamental plant is often planted for hedges and used to mark boundaries on many Pacific islands because it grows quickly and usually luxuriantly from stem cuttings. It is also able to survive relatively dry periods in poor soil.

For Chuuk: Wood cut from these slender trees are favored for breadfruit picking poles, and the dry timber was preferred for drills used to start fires. The leaves are used to cover the earth oven and to wrap fish. “These slender, tall trees are favored for breadfruit picking poles (yaas), and the dry timber is preferred for fire drills (niiok)” (Mahony, 3).

For Kiribati: “Commonly cultivated ornamental in villages; planted as a hedge or living fence; leaves used in garlands” (Thaman, 22). A.R.B. No.333 (1990); Catala (1957) refers to this plant as a food plant; used for ornamental purposes, mainly for making leis (p.76-77). “The Gilbertese do not eat the young shoots or leaves which are cooked as vegetables in other areas of the Pacific” (Catala, 1957). “This very rare plant was seen only at the Residency at Bairiki, and on Beru, where it was about 1 m tall. It is very common on Nauru, where it forms hedges, and whence it was probably brought by Gilbertese employed in the phospahate works” (Thaman?MM).

Te aronga (meaning scarcity or famine, the reason for this being unclear, unless it is in fact a "proper" name previously applied to similar indigenous Acalypha amentacea varieties, such as A. amentacea var. grandis, which may have been present in the past, and are reportedly indigenous elsewhere in Micronesia (Fosberg, et.al 1979; Fosbergand Sachet, 1987); (see http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/duffy/arb/293-305/296.pdf)