the Three-feeded Mercury, in botany, a genus of plants belonging to the monoeica monadelphia class. There are only four species of this plant; the acalypha virginica, which is a native of Ceylon; the virgata, indica, and australis, all natives of America. Sir Hans Sloan ranks this plant with the nettle, under the name of urtica minor inter spicata. As these plants have no beauty to recommend them, and at the same time are too tender to thrive easily in this climate, a particular description of the species or their culture seems unnecessary.