Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton linearis

Croton argenteus

grannybush, pineland croton

silver July croton
Habit Shrubs, 10–20 dm, dioecious. Herbs, annual, 2–12 dm, monoecious.
Stems

well branched from base, stellate-hairy.

branching once into 2–3 branches, tomentose.
Leaves

not clustered;

stipules rudimentary;

petiole 0.3–1 cm, 1/10–1/7 leaf blade length, often with 2 sessile or stipitate glands at apex;

blade linear to narrowly oblong, 3–7 × 0.3–1.5 cm, mostly more than 4 times as long as wide, base cuneate to obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surface whitish yellow, densely appressed stellate-hairy, adaxial surface green, glabrous or minutely stellate-puberulent.

sometimes clustered near inflorescences;

stipules linear-subulate, 4–11 mm, unlobed or deeply divided;

petiole 0.3–8 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate to ovate-oblong, 2–15 × 1.5–8 cm, base obtuse, cuneate, or subtruncate, margins denticulate, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface pale green, not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, densely stellate-hairy, adaxial surface green, less densely stellate-hairy.
Inflorescences

unisexual, racemes; staminate 4–10 cm, flowers 10–30; pistillate 3–5 cm, flowers 5–12.

bisexual, congested racemes, 1–4 cm, staminate flowers 4–10, pistillate flowers 3–6.
Pedicels

staminate 1–2 mm, pistillate 2–3 mm.

staminate 2–3 mm, pistillate 1–4 mm (3–5 mm in fruit).
Staminate flowers

sepals 5(–6), 2–2.5 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5–6, spatulate, obtuse, 1.5–2.5 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins ciliate;

stamens 12–17.

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

petals 5, oblong, 2–3 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins ciliate;

stamens 10–13.
Pistillate flowers

sepals 5, equal, 2.5–3.5 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface canescent;

petals rudimentary or 0;

ovary 3-locular;

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

sepals 5, unequal, 4–8 mm, margins deeply laciniate, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 2–3 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments 12.
Capsules

5–7 × 4–5 mm, smooth;

columella with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.

5 × 7 mm, smooth;

columella 3-angled.
Seeds

3–4 × 1.5–2 mm, dull.

3.2–3.8 × 2.4–3 mm, dull.

Croton linearis

Croton argenteus
Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering Jun–Dec.
Habitat Rocky limestone pinelands, coastal areas. Disturbed sites, waste areas, levees.
Elevation 0–30 m. (0–100 ft.) 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
TX; e Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Croton linearis in the flora area is found only in Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe (Keys only), Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties.

There has been some confusion in the past with the application of the name C. cascarilla (Linnaeus) Linnaeus to this taxon, but C. cascarilla is now considered to be a synonym of the West Indian C. eluteria (Linnaeus) W. Wright (B. W. van Ee and P. E. Berry 2010b).

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

Croton argenteus, which in the flora area is known only from Cameron and Hidalgo counties, may be a fairly recent introduction into the United States; the earliest known collections date from 1923.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 219. FNA vol. 12, p. 211.
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. elliottii, C. fruticulosus, C. glandulosus, C. heptalon, C. humilis, C. incanus, C. leucophyllus, C. lindheimeri, C. lindheimerianus, 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. 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. suaveolens, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
Synonyms C. fergusonii family euphorbiaceae Julocroton argenteus
Name authority Jacquin: Enum. Syst. Pl., 32. (1760) — (as lineare) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1004. (1753) — (as argenteum)
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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