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Elliott's croton, pondshore croton

Habit Herbs, annual, 3–8 dm, monoecious.
Stems

usually single from base, then well branched from first reproductive node, appressed stellate-hairy.

Leaves

sometimes clustered near inflorescences;

stipules absent;

petiole 0.5–2 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade lanceolate to oblong, 2–5.5 × 0.2–0.8 cm, base rounded, margins entire, apex subacute, abaxial surface pale green, not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, densely long stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, less densely short stellate-hairy.

Inflorescences

bisexual, congested racemes, 0.8–1.5 cm, staminate flowers 5–15, pistillate flowers 3–6.

Pedicels

staminate 0.4–0.9 mm, pistillate 0–0.8 mm.

Staminate flowers

sepals 5, 0.8–1 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5, linear-oblong to lanceolate, 0.8–1 mm, abaxial surface glabrous;

stamens 7–10.

Pistillate flowers

sepals 6–7, equal, 5–6 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

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

Capsules

4–5 mm diam., smooth;

columella slightly 3-winged distally.

Seeds

4–4.5 × 3–4 mm, shiny.

Croton elliottii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Depression ponds, depression meadows, clay-based Carolina bays, usually on exposed pond edges or bottoms.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; SC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Croton elliottii is most closely related to C. capitatus.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 214.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Croton
Sibling taxa
C. alabamensis, C. argenteus, C. argyranthemus, C. californicus, C. capitatus, C. ciliatoglandulifer, C. cortesianus, C. coryi, C. dioicus, 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
Name authority Chapman: Fl. South. U.S., 407. (1860)
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