Croton monanthogynus |
Croton sonorae |
|
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one-seed croton, prairie tea |
Sonora croton, Sonoran croton |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, 2–5 dm, monoecious. | Shrubs, 8–16 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | dichotomously branched from near base, stellate-hairy, some stellate hairs with dark brown centers. |
much-branched distally, canescent when young, becoming glabrate. |
Leaves | 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. |
sometimes clustered near inflorescences; stipules subulate, to 1 mm; petiole 0.4–1 cm, 1/4–1/2 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex; blade ovate to broadly lanceolate, 0.8–4 × 0.6–2 cm, base cuneate to rounded or cordate, margins entire, not undulate, ciliate-glandular, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface pale green, sparsely whitish stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, glabrate. |
Inflorescences | bisexual or sometimes pistillate, congested racemes, 0.3–1 cm, staminate flowers 3–10, pistillate flowers 1–2(–5). |
bisexual or staminate, racemes, 2–14 cm, staminate flowers 10–25, pistillate flowers 3–5(–8). |
Pedicels | staminate 0.5–2 mm, pistillate 1–2.5 mm (2–3 mm and recurved in fruit). |
staminate 1–1.5 mm, pistillate 1–4 mm. |
Staminate flowers | 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. |
sepals 5, 1–1.5 mm, abaxial surface sparsely stellate-hairy; petals 5, lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins villous; stamens 13–16. |
Pistillate flowers | 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. |
sepals 5, equal, 1.5–2 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface sparsely stellate-hairy; petals papillae, 0.5 mm; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 2–3 mm, 2-fid, terminal segments 6. |
Capsules | appearing follicular (1-seeded), 3.5–4.5 × 1.8–2.2 mm, smooth; columella ± curved, apparently deciduous upon dehiscence of capsule. |
7–8 × 5–6 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 2.5–3.3 × 2–2.5 mm, shiny. |
6–7 × 3–4 mm, shiny. |
2n | = 20. |
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Croton monanthogynus |
Croton sonorae |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Nov. | Flowering Jul–Sep. |
Habitat | Prairies, sandstone and limestone glades, thinly wooded bluffs, fallow fields, other disturbed habitats. | Rocky slopes, desert scrub. |
Elevation | 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) | 500–1100 m. (1600–3600 ft.) |
Distribution |
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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AZ; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
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Discussion | Croton monanthogynus may be adventive in the northernmost states. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Croton sonorae is widely distributed in Mexico and extends into southern Arizona in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 220. | FNA vol. 12, p. 223. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Croton | Euphorbiaceae > Croton |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Engelmannia nuttalliana, Gynamblosis monanthogyna, Heptallon ellipticum, Oxydectes monanthogyna | C. attenuatus, C. pringlei |
Name authority | Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 215. (1803) — (as monanthogynum) | Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859) |
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