Croton incanus |
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salvia, Torrey's croton, vara blanca |
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Habit | Shrubs, 10–20 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | much branched distally, stellate-velutinous. |
Leaves | sometimes clustered near inflorescences; stipules linear-subulate, 2–3 mm; petiole 0.7–1.5 cm, (1/4–)3/8–1/2 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex; blade oblong, ovate-oblong, or elliptic-oblong, 1.5–4(–6) × 1.5–3 cm, base rounded to obtuse, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surface whitish, densely stellate-tomentose, adaxial surface darker green, stellate-tomentose. |
Inflorescences | bisexual, racemes, 2–5 cm, staminate flowers 10–25, pistillate flowers 2–4. |
Pedicels | staminate 1.7–3 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm. |
Staminate flowers | sepals 5, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface densely tomentose; petals 5, oblanceolate, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface villous; stamens 10–16. |
Pistillate flowers | sepals 5, equal, 1.2–3.5 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface tomentose; petals 0; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 1.8–3.5 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6. |
Capsules | 6–8 × 4–5 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 4.5–7 × 3–4 mm, dull. |
2n | = 20. |
Croton incanus |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–Nov. |
Habitat | Calcareous loams, xeric rocky limestone slopes and canyons. |
Elevation | 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) |
Distribution |
TX; n Mexico; c Mexico |
Discussion | Croton incanus is known in the flora area from the trans-Pecos region to south Texas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 217. |
Parent taxa | |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | C. suaveolens var. oblongifolius, C. torreyanus |
Name authority | Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 2(fol.): 58; 2(qto.): 73. (1817) |
Web links |