Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton alabamensis var. alabamensis

Croton alabamensis
Photo is of parent taxon

Alabama croton

Alabama croton
Habit Shrubs, 5–35 dm, monoecious.
Stems

usually well branched distally, lepidote.
Leaves

blades: abaxial surface silvery, scales mostly unpigmented or light amber, some dark blackish brown scales sometimes present.

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.
Inflorescences

9–18-flowered, producing 0–11 fruits.

bisexual or unisexual, racemes, 2–4.5 cm, staminate flowers 0–15, pistillate flowers 0–10.
Pedicels

staminate 2.2–4 mm, pistillate 2.2–7.5 mm (7–11 mm in fruit).
Staminate flowers

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.
Pistillate flowers

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).
Capsules

1.6–2.5 × 2–3 mm, smooth;

columella 3-angled.
Seeds

6.7–8 × 5.2–6 mm, shiny.
2n

= 16, 32.

Croton alabamensis var. alabamensis

Croton alabamensis
Phenology Flowering mostly late Feb–early Apr; fruiting mostly May–Jun.
Habitat Limestone glades, forest understories, shale or sandstone outcrops, often on steep slopes.
Elevation 50–150 m. (200–500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Variety alabamensis is restricted to Bibb and Tuscaloosa counties. A report of this variety from Tennessee is almost certainly erroneous (K. Wurdack 2006).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

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.)
Key
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
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 210. FNA vol. 12, p. 210.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Croton > Croton alabamensis Euphorbiaceae > Croton
Sibling taxa
C. alabamensis var. texensis
C. argenteus, C. argyranthemus, C. californicus, C. capitatus, C. ciliatoglandulifer, C. cortesianus, C. coryi, C. dioicus, C. elliottii, C. fruticulosus, C. glandulosus, C. heptalon, C. humilis, C. incanus, C. leucophyllus, C. lindheimeri, C. lindheimerianus, C. linearis, C. michauxii, C. monanthogynus, C. parksii, C. pottsii, C. punctatus, C. sancti-lazari, C. setigerus, C. soliman, C. sonorae, C. suaveolens, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
Subordinate taxa
C. alabamensis var. alabamensis, C. alabamensis var. texensis
Name authority unknown E. A. Smith ex Chapman: Fl. South. U.S. ed. 2, 648. (1883)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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