Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton punctatus

Croton setigerus

beach tea, gulf croton, hierba de jabalí

dove weed, fish poison, turkey mullein
Habit Shrubs, 3–10 dm, monoecious or sometimes appearing dioecious. Herbs, annual, 0.5–5 dm, monoecious.
Stems

trichotomously branching, stellate-hairy to stellate-lepidote.

densely and dichotomously shortly branched, forming loose, prostrate circular mats 5–80 cm across, proximally bristly stellate-hairy, central radii spreading, 2–3 mm.
Leaves

not clustered;

stipules absent;

petiole 1–4 cm, 1/2 to equal blade length, glands absent at apex;

blade broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, 2–5 × 1.5–4 cm, much less than 2 times as long as wide, base rounded to truncate, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface pale grayish green, stellate-lepidote, adaxial surface slightly darker green, stellate-lepidote.

mostly clustered near inflorescences;

stipules rudimentary;

petiole 0.3–5 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate to rhombic, 0.8–6.5 × 0.8–4 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, apex obtuse, abaxial surface pale grayish green, adaxial surface grayish green, both densely stellate-hairy.
Inflorescences

unisexual or bisexual, racemes, 1–4 cm, staminate flowers 3–7, pistillate flowers 1–3.

unisexual; staminate dense capitate clusters, 1–2 cm, flowers 2–10; pistillate clusters, 1–2 cm, flowers 1–3.
Pedicels

staminate 2–4 mm, pistillate 0–1 mm.

staminate 0–1 mm, pistillate absent.
Staminate flowers

sepals 5–6, 2.5 mm, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote;

petals 0;

stamens 10–13.

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

petals 0;

stamens 5–9.
Pistillate flowers

sepals 5, equal, 3–3.5 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 1–2 mm, multifid, terminal segments 12–24.

sepals 0;

petals 0;

ovary 1-locular;

style 1, 2–3 mm, unbranched.
Capsules

5–8 × 7–9 mm, smooth;

columella 3-winged.

follicular (1-seeded), 3–6 × 2–3 mm, smooth;

columella absent.
Seeds

4.5–6 × 3.7–4.5 mm, dull.

3–5 × 2–3 mm, shiny.
2n

= 28.

= 20.

Croton punctatus

Croton setigerus
Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Beaches, dunes. Coastal sage scrub, foothill woodlands, valley grasslands, oak woodlands, edges of fields, dry stream beds, disturbed areas, roadsides.
Elevation 0–20 m. (0–100 ft.) 0–1900 m. (0–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; e Mexico; Central America; West Indies; n South America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; NV; OR; UT; WA; Mexico (Baja California) [Introduced s South America (Chile), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

A report of Croton punctatus from Pennsylvania apparently was based on a transient appearance on ballast (E. T. Wherry et al. 1979).

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

Croton setigerus is nearly unique in the genus with its one-locular fruit, single unbranched style, and pistillate flowers devoid of any perianth. The foliage is toxic to animals, and the crushed plants were used by Native Americans to stupefy fish. The seeds are palatable to birds, giving rise to the common names cited above. Individual plants produce either mottled, striped, or solid gray or black seeds. Gray seeds are produced by desiccating plants and appear to be much less palatable to doves than the other color morphs (A. D. Cook et al. 1971).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 222. FNA vol. 12, p. 223.
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. parksii, C. pottsii, 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. incanus, C. leucophyllus, C. lindheimeri, C. lindheimerianus, C. linearis, C. michauxii, C. monanthogynus, C. parksii, C. pottsii, C. punctatus, C. sancti-lazari, C. soliman, C. sonorae, C. suaveolens, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
Synonyms C. disjunctiflorus, C. maritimus, C. plukenetii Eremocarpus setigerus
Name authority Jacquin: Collectanea 1: 166. (1787) — (as puntatum) Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 141. (1838) — (as setigerum)
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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