Croton punctatus |
Croton soliman |
|
---|---|---|
beach tea, gulf croton, hierba de jabalí |
Soliman's croton |
|
Habit | Shrubs, 3–10 dm, monoecious or sometimes appearing dioecious. | Shrubs, 5–8 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | trichotomously branching, stellate-hairy to stellate-lepidote. |
sparsely branched distally, sparsely stellate-hairy. |
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. |
not clustered; stipules linear, (0–)1–2 mm, sometimes short stipitate-glandular; petiole 1–2 cm, 2/5–1/2 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex; blade ovate, 2–5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, base rounded-cuneate, margins entire, with scattered glandular-capitate processes 1 mm, usually denser at base, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface green, glabrous or sparsely stellate-hairy, usually along margin, adaxial surface slightly darker green, glabrous. |
Inflorescences | unisexual or bisexual, racemes, 1–4 cm, staminate flowers 3–7, pistillate flowers 1–3. |
bisexual, racemes, 2–4 cm, staminate flowers 10–30, pistillate flowers 3–6. |
Pedicels | staminate 2–4 mm, pistillate 0–1 mm. |
staminate 1–5 mm, pistillate 2–5 mm. |
Staminate flowers | sepals 5–6, 2.5 mm, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote; petals 0; stamens 10–13. |
sepals 5, 0.8–1 mm, abaxial surface sparsely stellate-hairy; petals 5, spatulate, 1–1.3 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins ciliate basally; stamens 15–20. |
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 5, unequal, 5–6 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface glabrous or with a few stellate hairs; petals 0 or 5, white, linear, 2.5–3.5 mm; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 3–4 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments 12. |
Capsules | 5–8 × 7–9 mm, smooth; columella 3-winged. |
6 × 5–6 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 4.5–6 × 3.7–4.5 mm, dull. |
4–5 × 3–4 mm, shiny. |
2n | = 28. |
|
Croton punctatus |
Croton soliman |
|
Phenology | Flowering year-round. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Beaches, dunes. | Thickets, low ridges. |
Elevation | 0–20 m. (0–100 ft.) | 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; e Mexico; Central America; West Indies; n South America
|
TX; e Mexico; s Mexico |
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 soliman is most similar to C. humilis. In the flora area, C. soliman is found only in Cameron County. (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 | ||
Synonyms | C. disjunctiflorus, C. maritimus, C. plukenetii | |
Name authority | Jacquin: Collectanea 1: 166. (1787) — (as puntatum) | Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 6: 361. (1831) |
Web links |