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Cory's croton

scented croton

Habit Herbs, annual, 5–10 dm, monoecious. Shrubs, 2–5 dm, monoecious.
Stems

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

dichotomously much branched proximally, coarsely stellate-tomentose.

Leaves

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.

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

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

Pedicels

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

staminate 3–5 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm.

Staminate flowers

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.

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 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.

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

4.5–5.5 × 4 mm, smooth;

columella 3-angled.

7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.

Seeds

3 × 2 mm, dull.

5.5–7 × 4–5 mm, shiny.

Croton coryi

Croton suaveolens

Phenology Flowering May–Nov. Flowering Apr–Nov.
Habitat Grasslands, woodland openings, deep well-drained sands, barrier island dunes, similar habitats inland. Rocky slopes, foothills.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 1500–2000 m. (4900–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo León)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

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. 213. FNA vol. 12, p. 224.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Croton Euphorbiaceae > Croton
Sibling taxa
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
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. pottsii, C. punctatus, C. sancti-lazari, C. setigerus, C. soliman, C. sonorae, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
Name authority Croizat: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 446, 457. (1942) Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859)
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