Croton argenteus |
Croton suaveolens |
|
---|---|---|
silver July croton |
scented croton |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, 2–12 dm, monoecious. | Shrubs, 2–5 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | branching once into 2–3 branches, tomentose. |
dichotomously much branched proximally, coarsely stellate-tomentose. |
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. |
often clustered near inflorescences; stipules each 5–10 glandular papillae, 0.2–0.5 mm; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm, 1/4 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex; blade obovate or ovate to broadly elliptic, 2–5.4 × 1–3.6 cm, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surface pale green to cream, adaxial surface darker green, both densely stellate-hairy. |
Inflorescences | bisexual, congested racemes, 1–4 cm, staminate flowers 4–10, pistillate flowers 3–6. |
bisexual or staminate, racemes, 1–3 cm, staminate flowers 6–10, pistillate flowers 1–3. |
Pedicels | staminate 2–3 mm, pistillate 1–4 mm (3–5 mm in fruit). |
staminate 3–5 mm, pistillate 1–2 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, 2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 5, spatulate or obovate, 0.4–0.6 mm, abaxial surface densely villous at base and along margins, otherwise glabrous; stamens 12–16. |
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 5, equal, 2.5 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals glandular papillae; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 4–6 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6. |
Capsules | 5 × 7 mm, smooth; columella 3-angled. |
7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 3.2–3.8 × 2.4–3 mm, dull. |
5.5–7 × 4–5 mm, shiny. |
Croton argenteus |
Croton suaveolens |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Dec. | Flowering Apr–Nov. |
Habitat | Disturbed sites, waste areas, levees. | Rocky slopes, foothills. |
Elevation | 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) | 1500–2000 m. (4900–6600 ft.) |
Distribution |
TX; e Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in North America] |
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo León) |
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 suaveolens is found in the flora area only in trans-Pecos Texas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 211. | FNA vol. 12, p. 224. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | family euphorbiaceae Julocroton argenteus | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1004. (1753) — (as argenteum) | Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859) |
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