The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

California croton, desert croton

leatherweed, leatherweed croton

Habit Subshrubs or shrubs, 4–11 dm, dioecious. Herbs, perennial, 1–6 dm, monoecious or dioecious.
Stems

loosely branched, stellate-lepidote.

several from base, sparsely branched distally, stellate-hairy.

Leaves

not clustered;

stipules absent;

petiole 1–3.5(–4.5) cm, usually less than 1/2 blade length, glands absent at apex;

blade elliptic to narrowly oblong, 2–5.5(–7) × 0.8–2(–2.5) cm, usually more than 2 times as long as wide, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface light green, adaxial surface darker green, both stellate-lepidote.

sometimes clustered near inflorescences;

stipules rudimentary;

petiole 0.5–2 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate-oblong, proximal rounder, distal more ovate-elliptic, 1–6 × 1–3 cm, base rounded, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, both surfaces pale to ashy green, softly stellate-hairy.

Inflorescences

unisexual, racemes or thyrses; staminate 0.5–3.5(–10) cm, flowers 3–8(–20); pistillate 0.5–1 cm, flowers 1–6.

bisexual or unisexual, racemes, 0.5–2.5 cm, staminate and pistillate flowers each (12–)20–25.

Pedicels

staminate 1–5.5(–7) mm, pistillate to 1 mm (1–3 mm in fruit).

staminate 1.5–6 mm, pistillate 1–3.5 mm, ± recurved in fruit.

Staminate flowers

sepals 5, 1 mm, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote;

petals 0;

stamens 10–15.

sepals (4–)5, 1–1.5 mm, abaxial surface densely stellate-hairy;

petals (4–)5, oblong-lanceolate, 1–1.3 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins villous;

stamens 10–15.

Pistillate flowers

sepals 5, equal, 2 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 2–2.5 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments usually 12.

sepals 5, equal, 1.5–3 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface glabrous except stellate-hairy at apex;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 0.5–4.5 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6.

Capsules

6–8 × 5–7 mm, smooth;

columella 3-winged.

4–6(–7) × 4–5 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 sharp projections.

Seeds

4–5.5 × 3.5–5.5 mm, dull.

3.5–4 × 2–2.5 mm, shiny.

2n

= 28.

= 20.

Croton californicus

Croton pottsii

Phenology Flowering Feb–Oct.
Habitat Sandy soils, sage scrub, dunes, washes.
Elevation 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Sinaloa)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico; c Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The affinities of Croton pottsii lie with C. lindheimerianus and C. monanthogynus.

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

Key
1. Stems straight; erect radii of stellate hairs shorter than lateral radii, thus pubescence appearing appressed and smooth; leaf blades 1.6–6 cm; racemes mostly 1.1–2.5 cm; styles 1.1–4.5 mm; capsules 4–6(–7) mm.
var. pottsii
1. Stems somewhat zigzag; erect radii of stellate hairs longer than lateral radii, thus pubescence appearing ± shaggy; leaf blades usually 1–1.4 cm; racemes mostly 0.5–0.9 cm; styles usually 0.5–1 mm; capsules 4 mm.
var. thermophilus
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 211. FNA vol. 12, p. 221.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Croton Euphorbiaceae > Croton
Sibling taxa
C. alabamensis, C. argenteus, C. argyranthemus, 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. parksii, C. punctatus, C. sancti-lazari, C. setigerus, C. soliman, C. sonorae, C. suaveolens, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
Subordinate taxa
C. pottsii var. pottsii, C. pottsii var. thermophilus
Synonyms Hendecandra procumbens, C. californicus var. longipes, C. californicus var. mohavensis, C. californicus var. tenuis, C. longipes, C. mohavensis, C. tenuis Lasiogyne pottsii
Name authority Müller Arg.: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 691. (1866) (Klotzsch) Müller Arg.: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 561. (1866)
Web links