Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton parksii

Croton cortesianus

Parks' croton

Cortez's croton, palillo
Habit Herbs, annual, 5–15 dm, dioecious. Shrubs, 10–30 dm, dioecious.
Stems

much-branched distally, stellate-hairy.

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

not clustered;

stipules rudimentary;

petiole 0.5–1.5 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade elliptic, 2.5–6 × 1–2 cm, base rounded, margins entire, apex short-rounded, abaxial surface grayish green, densely stellate-tomentose, adaxial surface olive green, stellate-tomentose.

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;

staminate subspicate to racemose or paniculate, 3–6 cm, flowers 3–20;

pistillate capitate, 0.1–0.7 cm, flowers 1–3.

unisexual, racemes;

staminate 7–20 cm, flowers 10–30;

pistillate 1–5 cm, flowers 8–20(–30).
Pedicels

staminate 0.5–2 mm, pistillate 0.5–1.5 mm (1–3.5 mm in fruit).

staminate 0–1 mm, pistillate 0–0.5 mm.
Staminate flowers

sepals (5–)6, 3 mm, abaxial surface lanose, margins ciliate;

petals 0;

stamens 10–15.

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 mm, margins entire, apex incurved and ± hooded, abaxial surface densely stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 2 mm, irregularly 2–3 times 2-fid, terminal segments 24, forming matted cluster.

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

8–9 × 9–10 mm, verrucose;

columella 3-winged.

5–6 × 4.5–5.5 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.
Seeds

6–7 mm diam., shiny.

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

= 20.

Croton parksii

Croton cortesianus
Phenology Flowering Jun–Dec. Flowering Feb–Oct, possibly year-round.
Habitat Deep sandy soils. Scrub forests.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; e Mexico; se Mexico; Central America
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Croton parksii, found on the southern Gulf Coastal Plain, is closely related to C. texensis, with which it shares capsules with conspicuous scurfy bumps covered by stellate hairs. Although they appear to intergrade where their ranges overlap around Wilson County, they can generally be distinguished by C. parksii being more robust, with larger capsules and seeds, and more densely tomentose leaves.

(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. 221. 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. linearis, C. michauxii, C. monanthogynus, 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. chichenensis, C. trichocarpus
Name authority Croizat: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 445, 457. (1942) 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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