Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton argenteus

Croton parksii

silver July croton

Parks' croton
Habit Herbs, annual, 2–12 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 5–15 dm, dioecious.
Stems

branching once into 2–3 branches, tomentose.

much-branched 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 rudimentary;

petiole 0.5–1.5 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade elliptic, 2.5–6 × 1–2 cm, base rounded, margins entire, apex short-rounded, abaxial surface grayish green, densely stellate-tomentose, adaxial surface olive green, stellate-tomentose.
Inflorescences

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

unisexual;

staminate subspicate to racemose or paniculate, 3–6 cm, flowers 3–20;

pistillate capitate, 0.1–0.7 cm, flowers 1–3.
Pedicels

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

staminate 0.5–2 mm, pistillate 0.5–1.5 mm (1–3.5 mm in fruit).
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–)6, 3 mm, abaxial surface lanose, margins ciliate;

petals 0;

stamens 10–15.
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 5, equal, 2 mm, margins entire, apex incurved and ± hooded, abaxial surface densely stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 2 mm, irregularly 2–3 times 2-fid, terminal segments 24, forming matted cluster.
Capsules

5 × 7 mm, smooth;

columella 3-angled.

8–9 × 9–10 mm, verrucose;

columella 3-winged.
Seeds

3.2–3.8 × 2.4–3 mm, dull.

6–7 mm diam., shiny.

Croton argenteus

Croton parksii
Phenology Flowering Jun–Dec. Flowering Jun–Dec.
Habitat Disturbed sites, waste areas, levees. Deep sandy soils.
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 parksii, found on the southern Gulf Coastal Plain, is closely related to C. texensis, with which it shares capsules with conspicuous scurfy bumps covered by stellate hairs. Although they appear to intergrade where their ranges overlap around Wilson County, they can generally be distinguished by C. parksii being more robust, with larger capsules and seeds, and more densely tomentose leaves.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 211. FNA vol. 12, p. 221.
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. lindheimeri, C. lindheimerianus, C. linearis, C. michauxii, C. monanthogynus, 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: 445, 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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