Croton alabamensis
Croton coryi
Alabama croton
Cory's croton
usually well branched distally, lepidote.
trichotomously branched, mostly densely, grayish white, long stellate-hairy.
clustered at branch tips;
stipules absent;
petiole 0.6–2 cm, glands absent at apex;
blade elliptic, ovate, or oblong, 3–10 × 1.5–5 cm, base rounded to obtuse, margins entire, sometimes ± undulate, apex acute, rounded, or emarginate, abaxial surface silvery or coppery, densely lepidote, adaxial surface green, sparsely lepidote.
sometimes clustered near inflorescences;
stipules absent;
petiole 1.5–4 cm, glands absent at apex;
blade narrowly ovate to elliptic, 3.5–7 × 1.5–3.5 cm, base rounded to subtruncate or subcordate, margins entire, apex acute, both surfaces light olive green, abaxial surface not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, whitish stellate-hispid.
bisexual or unisexual, racemes, 2–4.5 cm, staminate flowers 0–15, pistillate flowers 0–10.
bisexual, subspicate racemes, 4–7 cm, staminate flowers 15–25, pistillate flowers 8–15.
staminate 2.2–4 mm, pistillate 2.2–7.5 mm (7–11 mm in fruit).
staminate 0.5–2.5 mm, pistillate 0–3 mm.
sepals 5, 1.1–2.9 mm, abaxial surface lepidote;
petals 5, oblong-ovate, 2–3.1 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins stellate-ciliate;
stamens 10–22.
sepals 5, 3 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;
petals 5, ligulate, 3–3.5 mm, abaxial surface densely lepidote, scales translucent, petals appearing hyaline;
stamens 14–16.
sepals 5, equal, 2–4.5 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface lepidote;
petals 5, pale green, ovate, 2–3.5 mm;
ovary 3-locular;
styles 3, 2–5 mm, usually unbranched, rarely 2-fid, terminal segments 3 (or 6).
sepals 6–8, equal, 7 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface shaggy-tomentose;
petals 0 or rudimentary;
ovary 3-locular;
styles 3, 3–4 mm, 2 times 2-fid, terminal segments 12.
1.6–2.5 × 2–3 mm, smooth;
columella 3-angled.
4.5–5.5 × 4 mm, smooth;
columella 3-angled.
6.7–8 × 5.2–6 mm, shiny.
3 × 2 mm, dull.
Croton alabamensis
Croton coryi
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
B. W. van Ee et al. (2006) examined populations of Croton alabamensis using DNA sequence and AFLP data, and their results supported the recognition of two varieties and an isolated position in the genus. Buds develop in the summer and fall for the following spring's flowers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Croton coryi is endemic to the South Texas Sand Sheet of coastal southern Texas (Brooks, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Starr, and Willacy counties). Despite the marked difference in vegetative indumenta, C. coryi is closely related to C. argyranthemus. The most obvious feature linking them is the silvery lepidote staminate petals.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaf blade abaxial surfaces silvery, scales mostly unpigmented or light amber, some dark blackish brown scales sometimes present; inflorescences 9–18-flowered, producing 0–11 fruits; Alabama. | var. alabamensis |
1. Leaf blade abaxial surfaces coppery, some scales unpigmented, others with dark reddish brown center and reddish amber rays; inflorescences 6–14-flowered, producing 0–6 fruits; Texas. | var. texensis |
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