Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton parksii

Croton incanus

Parks' croton

salvia, Torrey's croton, vara blanca
Habit Herbs, annual, 5–15 dm, dioecious. Shrubs, 10–20 dm, monoecious.
Stems

much-branched distally, stellate-hairy.

much branched distally, stellate-velutinous.
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.

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

unisexual;

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

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

bisexual, racemes, 2–5 cm, staminate flowers 10–25, pistillate flowers 2–4.
Pedicels

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

staminate 1.7–3 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm.
Staminate flowers

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

petals 0;

stamens 10–15.

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, 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, 1.2–3.5 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

8–9 × 9–10 mm, verrucose;

columella 3-winged.

6–8 × 4–5 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.
Seeds

6–7 mm diam., shiny.

4.5–7 × 3–4 mm, dull.
2n

= 20.

Croton parksii

Croton incanus
Phenology Flowering Jun–Dec. Flowering Mar–Nov.
Habitat Deep sandy soils. Calcareous loams, xeric rocky limestone slopes and canyons.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; n Mexico; c Mexico
[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 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. 221. FNA vol. 12, p. 217.
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. cortesianus, C. coryi, C. dioicus, C. elliottii, C. fruticulosus, C. glandulosus, C. heptalon, C. humilis, 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. suaveolens var. oblongifolius, C. torreyanus
Name authority Croizat: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 445, 457. (1942) Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 2(fol.): 58; 2(qto.): 73. (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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