Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton elliottii

Croton lindheimerianus

Elliott's croton, pondshore croton

three-seed croton
Habit Herbs, annual, 3–8 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 1–5 dm, monoecious.
Stems

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

dichotomously branched, densely stellate-tomentose.
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.

sometimes clustered near inflorescences;

stipules rudimentary;

petiole 0.5–3 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade lanceolate to suborbiculate, 1–5(–8) × 0.8–2.8(–3.5) cm, base rounded, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, abaxial surface pale green, stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, sparsely stellate-hairy.
Inflorescences

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

bisexual, racemes, 1–3 cm, not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, staminate flowers 3–8, pistillate flowers 1–3.
Pedicels

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

staminate 2–3 mm, pistillate 1–5(–15) 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.

sepals (4–)5, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5, linear-oblong-lanceolate, 1–1.5 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins villous;

stamens 7–9(–12).
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.

sepals 5–6, equal, 3 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

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

4–5 mm diam., smooth;

columella slightly 3-winged distally.

4–5 × 4–4.5 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 sharp projections.
Seeds

4–4.5 × 3–4 mm, shiny.

3.2–3.6 × 1.5 mm, shiny.

Croton elliottii

Croton lindheimerianus
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]
from FNA
AR; AZ; IL; IN; KS; LA; MO; NC; NM; OK; SC; TX; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Croton elliottii is most closely related to C. capitatus.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Croton lindheimerianus is one of the bifid-styled species in sect. Heptallon.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Leaf blades suborbiculate, length mostly less than 2 times width, apex rounded to broadly acute; plants densely velvety appressed-tomentose; pedicels, at least some, recurved in fruit.
var. lindheimerianus
1. Leaf blades lanceolate, length mostly more than 2 times width, apex acute; plants roughly tomentose; pedicels erect in fruit.
var. tharpii
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 214. FNA vol. 12, p. 219.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Croton 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
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. 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
Subordinate taxa
C. lindheimerianus var. lindheimerianus, C. lindheimerianus var. tharpii
Name authority Chapman: Fl. South. U.S., 407. (1860) Scheele: Linnaea 25: 580. (1852)
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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