Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton linearis

Croton cortesianus

grannybush, pineland croton

Cortez's croton, palillo
Habit Shrubs, 10–20 dm, dioecious. Shrubs, 10–30 dm, dioecious.
Stems

well branched from base, stellate-hairy.

di- or trichotomously branched, stellate-hairy, young stems often blackened by fungus.
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.

not clustered;

stipules rudimentary;

petiole 1–1.5 cm, 1/6–1/3 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex;

blade narrowly obovate, oblong, elliptic, or lanceolate, 3–10 × 1–5 cm, mostly less than 3.5 times as long as wide, base subacute to rounded, margins minutely denticulate, apex acute or acuminate, abaxial surface light green, densely ochraceous stellate-hispid when young, pale stellate-hairy when mature, adaxial surface darker green, glabrous.
Inflorescences

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

unisexual, racemes; staminate 7–20 cm, flowers 10–30; pistillate 1–5 cm, flowers 8–20(–30).
Pedicels

staminate 1–2 mm, pistillate 2–3 mm.

staminate 0–1 mm, pistillate 0–0.5 mm.
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, 2.5 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

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

stamens 12–16.
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, equal, 1–1.5 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hispid;

petals rudimentary;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 4–5 mm, 2-fid, terminal segments 6.
Capsules

5–7 × 4–5 mm, smooth;

columella with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.

5–6 × 4.5–5.5 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.
Seeds

3–4 × 1.5–2 mm, dull.

4–5 × 3–3.5 mm, shiny (with silvery sheen).
2n

= 20.

Croton linearis

Croton cortesianus
Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering Feb–Oct, possibly year-round.
Habitat Rocky limestone pinelands, coastal areas. Scrub forests.
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; se Mexico; Central 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 cortesianus is known in the flora area only from Cameron, Hidalgo, and Starr counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 219. FNA vol. 12, p. 213.
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. argenteus, C. argyranthemus, C. californicus, C. capitatus, C. ciliatoglandulifer, 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 C. chichenensis, C. trichocarpus
Name authority Jacquin: Enum. Syst. Pl., 32. (1760) — (as lineare) Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 2(fol.): 66; 2(qto.): 83. (1817)
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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