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trans-Pecos croton

goatweed, Lindheimer's hogwort, woolly croton

Habit Shrubs, 1–4 dm, dioecious. Herbs, annual, 5–20 dm, monoecious, stems, leaves, and buds with yellow-brown (ochraceous) pubescence when young, becoming glabrate.
Stems

much branched proximally, coarsely stellate-tomentose.

branching distally, stellate-hairy.

Leaves

not clustered;

stipules each 1 glandular papilla, 0.1 mm;

petiole 0.1–0.4(–0.6) cm, 1/10–1/5 blade length, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate to elliptic-ovate, 1–3(–4.5) × 0.5–1.5(–2) cm, base usually rounded to obtuse, rarely acute, margins entire, apex acute or rounded, abaxial surface pale green to pale yellow, stellate-tomentose, adaxial surface darker green, stellate-tomentose.

not clustered;

stipules linear, 0–5 mm;

petiole 1.5–7 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate-lanceolate, 3–7 × 1–3 cm, base cordate to rounded or subcordate, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface pale green, not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, densely stellate-hairy, adaxial surface greener, more sparsely hairy.

Inflorescences

unisexual;

staminate racemes, 1–3.3 cm, flowers 1–8;

pistillate congested racemes, 0.1–0.3 cm, flowers 1–3.

bisexual, racemes, 1.5–3 cm, staminate flowers 8–15, pistillate flowers 2–7.

Pedicels

staminate 1 mm, pistillate 0–0.5 mm.

staminate 0.5–3 mm, pistillate 0–1 mm.

Staminate flowers

sepals (4–)5, 2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals (4–)5, narrowly oblanceolate, 1.8–2 mm, abaxial surface nearly glabrous;

stamens 9–12.

sepals (4–)5, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5, linear-oblong, 1–1.5 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

stamens 9–13.

Pistillate flowers

sepals 5, equal, 1 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 0 or rudimentary;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 1.5–2 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6.

sepals 7–8, equal, 5–7 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface yellowish woolly-tomentose;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 3–4 mm, 2 times 2-fid, terminal segments 12.

Capsules

4–5 × 5.5–6 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.

6–8 × 8–9 mm, smooth;

columella tipped with 3-pronged grappling hooklike appendage.

Seeds

3.6–4.7 × 2.8–3.4 mm, shiny.

4–5 × 4–4.5 mm, shiny.

2n

= 20.

Croton sancti-lazari

Croton lindheimeri

Phenology Flowering Oct–Nov. Flowering May–Dec.
Habitat Rocky hillsides. Old pastures, forest openings, bottomlands, fence rows, disturbed areas.
Elevation 900–1200 m. (3000–3900 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MO; MS; SC; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Croton sancti-lazari in the flora area grows only in Brewster and Presidio counties.

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

Croton lindheimeri is very similar to C. capitatus, and the two can sometimes be found growing together in northeastern Texas. Croton lindheimeri can be distinguished by its more ochraceous pubescence on young growth, consistently acute leaf tips, somewhat more elongated pistillate part of the raceme, and pistillate sepal tips that do not recurve after anthesis. Croton lindheimeri was reported from Indiana, adventive on ballast in 1898, and from Kansas based on a single 1883 collection from Miami County, but apparently did not become established in either state.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 222. FNA vol. 12, p. 218.
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. punctatus, 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. 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. abruptus Pilinophytum lindheimeri, C. capitatus var. lindheimeri
Name authority Croizat: J. Arnold Arbor. 26: 185. (1945) (Engelmann & A. Gray) Alph. Wood: Class-book Bot. ed. s.n.(b), 631. (1861)
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