Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton sancti-lazari

Croton linearis

trans-Pecos croton

grannybush, pineland croton
Habit Shrubs, 1–4 dm, dioecious. Shrubs, 10–20 dm, dioecious.
Stems

much branched proximally, coarsely stellate-tomentose.

well branched from base, 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 rudimentary;

petiole 0.3–1 cm, 1/10–1/7 leaf blade length, often with 2 sessile or stipitate glands at apex;

blade linear to narrowly oblong, 3–7 × 0.3–1.5 cm, mostly more than 4 times as long as wide, base cuneate to obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surface whitish yellow, densely appressed stellate-hairy, adaxial surface green, glabrous or minutely stellate-puberulent.
Inflorescences

unisexual;

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

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

unisexual, racemes;

staminate 4–10 cm, flowers 10–30;

pistillate 3–5 cm, flowers 5–12.
Pedicels

staminate 1 mm, pistillate 0–0.5 mm.

staminate 1–2 mm, pistillate 2–3 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 5(–6), 2–2.5 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5–6, spatulate, obtuse, 1.5–2.5 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins ciliate;

stamens 12–17.
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 5, equal, 2.5–3.5 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface canescent;

petals rudimentary or 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 2–3 mm, 2-fid, terminal segments 6.
Capsules

4–5 × 5.5–6 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.

5–7 × 4–5 mm, smooth;

columella with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.
Seeds

3.6–4.7 × 2.8–3.4 mm, shiny.

3–4 × 1.5–2 mm, dull.

Croton sancti-lazari

Croton linearis
Phenology Flowering Oct–Nov. Flowering year-round.
Habitat Rocky hillsides. Rocky limestone pinelands, coastal areas.
Elevation 900–1200 m. (3000–3900 ft.) 0–30 m. (0–100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch 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 linearis in the flora area is found only in Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe (Keys only), Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties.

There has been some confusion in the past with the application of the name C. cascarilla (Linnaeus) Linnaeus to this taxon, but C. cascarilla is now considered to be a synonym of the West Indian C. eluteria (Linnaeus) W. Wright (B. W. van Ee and P. E. Berry 2010b).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 222. FNA vol. 12, p. 219.
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. lindheimeri, C. lindheimerianus, 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 C. fergusonii
Name authority Croizat: J. Arnold Arbor. 26: 185. (1945) Jacquin: Enum. Syst. Pl., 32. (1760) — (as lineare)
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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