Croton alabamensis
Croton humilis
Alabama croton
low croton, pepperbush, salvia
usually well branched distally, lepidote.
much branched, stellate-hairy, viscid.
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.
not clustered;
stipules 2–5 stipitate glands, to 0.5 mm;
petiole 0.7–3(–5) cm, 3/8–5/8 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex;
blade ovate to oblong, 1.5–8 × 1–2(–5) cm, base rounded to subcordate, margins entire to minutely glandular-denticulate, apex abruptly acute to acuminate, both surfaces pale green, abaxial densely stellate-hairy, adaxial tomentose, glabrescent.
bisexual or unisexual, racemes, 2–4.5 cm, staminate flowers 0–15, pistillate flowers 0–10.
bisexual or unisexual, racemes, 3–7 cm, staminate flowers 20–35, pistillate flowers 2–6.
staminate 2.2–4 mm, pistillate 2.2–7.5 mm (7–11 mm in fruit).
staminate 3–4 mm, pistillate 1–2(–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, 3–4 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;
petals 5, spatulate, 3–4 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins ciliate basally;
stamens 15–35.
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 5, equal, 4 mm, margins entire, sessile- or shortly stipitate-glandular, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;
petals 0 or 5, white, subulate, 1 mm;
ovary 3-locular;
styles 3, 3–5 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments 12.
1.6–2.5 × 2–3 mm, smooth;
columella 3-angled.
4–5 × 4 mm, smooth;
columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.
6.7–8 × 5.2–6 mm, shiny.
3–4 × 2.5–3 mm, shiny.
= 20.
Croton alabamensis
Croton humilis
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 humilis is a mainly West Indian species extending from southernmost Florida (Collier and Monroe counties) to the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, and up the Caribbean coast of Mexico to southernmost Texas (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Willacy, and Zapata counties). Texas plants have more stamens (30–35) than Florida plants (15–20).
(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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