Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton argenteus

Croton coryi

silver July croton

Cory's croton
Habit Herbs, annual, 2–12 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 5–10 dm, monoecious.
Stems

branching once into 2–3 branches, tomentose.

trichotomously branched, mostly densely, grayish white, long stellate-hairy.
Leaves

sometimes clustered near inflorescences;

stipules linear-subulate, 4–11 mm, unlobed or deeply divided;

petiole 0.3–8 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate to ovate-oblong, 2–15 × 1.5–8 cm, base obtuse, cuneate, or subtruncate, margins denticulate, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface pale green, not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, densely stellate-hairy, adaxial surface green, less densely stellate-hairy.

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.
Inflorescences

bisexual, congested racemes, 1–4 cm, staminate flowers 4–10, pistillate flowers 3–6.

bisexual, subspicate racemes, 4–7 cm, staminate flowers 15–25, pistillate flowers 8–15.
Pedicels

staminate 2–3 mm, pistillate 1–4 mm (3–5 mm in fruit).

staminate 0.5–2.5 mm, pistillate 0–3 mm.
Staminate flowers

sepals 5, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5, oblong, 2–3 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins ciliate;

stamens 10–13.

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.
Pistillate flowers

sepals 5, unequal, 4–8 mm, margins deeply laciniate, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 2–3 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments 12.

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.
Capsules

5 × 7 mm, smooth;

columella 3-angled.

4.5–5.5 × 4 mm, smooth;

columella 3-angled.
Seeds

3.2–3.8 × 2.4–3 mm, dull.

3 × 2 mm, dull.

Croton argenteus

Croton coryi
Phenology Flowering Jun–Dec. Flowering May–Nov.
Habitat Disturbed sites, waste areas, levees. Grasslands, woodland openings, deep well-drained sands, barrier island dunes, similar habitats inland.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; e Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Croton argenteus, which in the flora area is known only from Cameron and Hidalgo counties, may be a fairly recent introduction into the United States; the earliest known collections date from 1923.

(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.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 211. FNA vol. 12, p. 213.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Croton Euphorbiaceae > Croton
Sibling taxa
C. alabamensis, 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
C. alabamensis, C. argenteus, C. argyranthemus, C. californicus, C. capitatus, C. ciliatoglandulifer, C. cortesianus, 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
Synonyms family euphorbiaceae Julocroton argenteus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1004. (1753) — (as argenteum) Croizat: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 446, 457. (1942)
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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