Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton argenteus

Croton lindheimeri

silver July croton

goatweed, Lindheimer's hogwort, woolly croton
Habit Herbs, annual, 2–12 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 5–20 dm, monoecious, stems, leaves, and buds with yellow-brown (ochraceous) pubescence when young, becoming glabrate.
Stems

branching once into 2–3 branches, tomentose.

branching distally, 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.

not clustered;

stipules linear, 0–5 mm;

petiole 1.5–7 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate-lanceolate, 3–7 × 1–3 cm, base cordate to rounded or subcordate, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface pale green, not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, densely stellate-hairy, adaxial surface greener, more sparsely hairy.
Inflorescences

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

bisexual, racemes, 1.5–3 cm, staminate flowers 8–15, pistillate flowers 2–7.
Pedicels

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

staminate 0.5–3 mm, pistillate 0–1 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 (4–)5, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5, linear-oblong, 1–1.5 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

stamens 9–13.
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 7–8, equal, 5–7 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface yellowish woolly-tomentose;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

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

5 × 7 mm, smooth;

columella 3-angled.

6–8 × 8–9 mm, smooth;

columella tipped with 3-pronged grappling hooklike appendage.
Seeds

3.2–3.8 × 2.4–3 mm, dull.

4–5 × 4–4.5 mm, shiny.
2n

= 20.

Croton argenteus

Croton lindheimeri
Phenology Flowering Jun–Dec. Flowering May–Dec.
Habitat Disturbed sites, waste areas, levees. Old pastures, forest openings, bottomlands, fence rows, disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; e Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MO; MS; SC; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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 lindheimeri is very similar to C. capitatus, and the two can sometimes be found growing together in northeastern Texas. Croton lindheimeri can be distinguished by its more ochraceous pubescence on young growth, consistently acute leaf tips, somewhat more elongated pistillate part of the raceme, and pistillate sepal tips that do not recurve after anthesis. Croton lindheimeri was reported from Indiana, adventive on ballast in 1898, and from Kansas based on a single 1883 collection from Miami County, but apparently did not become established in either state.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 211. FNA vol. 12, p. 218.
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. coryi, C. dioicus, C. elliottii, C. fruticulosus, C. glandulosus, C. heptalon, C. humilis, C. incanus, C. leucophyllus, 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 Pilinophytum lindheimeri, C. capitatus var. lindheimeri
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1004. (1753) — (as argenteum) (Engelmann & A. Gray) Alph. Wood: Class-book Bot. ed. s.n.(b), 631. (1861)
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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