Croton fruticulosus |
Croton monanthogynus |
|
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bush croton, encinilla, hierba loca, shrubby croton |
one-seed croton, prairie tea |
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Habit | Shrubs, 2–10 dm, monoecious. | Herbs, annual, 2–5 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | much branched distally, stellate-hairy. |
dichotomously branched from near base, stellate-hairy, some stellate hairs with dark brown centers. |
Leaves | not clustered; stipules rudimentary or absent; petiole 0.4–1(–1.5) cm, 1/8–1/5 blade length, glands absent at apex; blade ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 2–8 × 2–4 cm, base truncate to cordate, margins serrulate, often slightly undulate, apex attenuate, acute, abaxial surface pale green, stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, puberulent. |
sometimes clustered near inflorescences; stipules glandlike, 0.1–0.3 mm; petiole 0.3–1.5 cm, glands absent at apex; blade ovate-oblong to nearly round (proximal) to narrowly elliptic (distal), 1–3.5 × 0.5–3 cm, base obtuse to rounded or truncate, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, abaxial surface pale green, sparsely whitish stellate-hairy and appearing brown-dotted, some hairs with dark brown centers, adaxial surface darker green, densely stellate-hairy, hairs without brown centers. |
Inflorescences | bisexual, racemes, 3–12 cm, staminate flowers 10–20, pistillate flowers 2–5. |
bisexual or sometimes pistillate, congested racemes, 0.3–1 cm, staminate flowers 3–10, pistillate flowers 1–2(–5). |
Pedicels | staminate 2.5–4 mm, pistillate 0–0.5 mm. |
staminate 0.5–2 mm, pistillate 1–2.5 mm (2–3 mm and recurved in fruit). |
Staminate flowers | sepals 5, 0.8–1.2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-tomentose; petals 5, oblanceolate to spatulate, 2 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins densely fimbrillate-villous; stamens 9–16. |
sepals 3–5, 0.7–1 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 3–5, narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, 0.7–1 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins villous; stamens 3–5. |
Pistillate flowers | sepals 5, equal, 2.2 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 0; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 3–4.5 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6. |
sepals 5, subequal, 1.5–2 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy, some hairs with dark brown centers; petals 0; ovary 2-locular, 1 fertile; styles 2, 0.8–1.2(–1.5) mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 4. |
Capsules | 5–6 mm diam., smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
appearing follicular (1-seeded), 3.5–4.5 × 1.8–2.2 mm, smooth; columella ± curved, apparently deciduous upon dehiscence of capsule. |
Seeds | 4–5 × 3.2–3.8 mm, shiny. |
2.5–3.3 × 2–2.5 mm, shiny. |
2n | = 20. |
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Croton fruticulosus |
Croton monanthogynus |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Dec. | Flowering May–Nov. |
Habitat | Limestone or basalt hills. | Prairies, sandstone and limestone glades, thinly wooded bluffs, fallow fields, other disturbed habitats. |
Elevation | 100–1700 m. (300–5600 ft.) | 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
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AL; AR; AZ; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NM; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
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Discussion | Croton fruticulosus is known in the flora area from southeastern Arizona through southern New Mexico and trans-Pecos Texas to the Edwards Plateau. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Croton monanthogynus may be adventive in the northernmost states. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 214. | FNA vol. 12, p. 220. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Engelmannia nuttalliana, Gynamblosis monanthogyna, Heptallon ellipticum, Oxydectes monanthogyna | |
Name authority | Engelmann ex Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859) — (as fruticulosum) | Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 215. (1803) — (as monanthogynum) |
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