Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton setigerus

Croton argyranthemus

dove weed, fish poison, turkey mullein

healing croton, silver croton, silverleaf croton
Habit Herbs, annual, 0.5–5 dm, monoecious. Herbs or subshrubs, annual or short-lived perennial, 1–6 dm, monoecious.
Stems

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

several from base, branching distally into 2–4 branches, lepidote.
Leaves

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.

not clustered;

stipules subulate, 0.2 mm;

petiole 0.2–1(–2) cm, glands absent at apex;

blade on proximal parts of stems oval to narrowly obovate, on distal parts oblong to lanceolate-oblong or broadly elliptic, 1–5 × 0.5–2(–3) cm, base rounded to narrowed, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface silvery, densely lepidote, adaxial surface darker green, sparsely lepidote or glabrate.
Inflorescences

unisexual;

staminate dense capitate clusters, 1–2 cm, flowers 2–10;

pistillate clusters, 1–2 cm, flowers 1–3.

bisexual, racemes, 2–5 cm, staminate flowers 15–35, pistillate flowers 2–8.
Pedicels

staminate 0–1 mm, pistillate absent.

staminate 1–5 mm, pistillate 0–2 mm.
Staminate flowers

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

petals 0;

stamens 5–9.

sepals 5, 5 mm, abaxial surface lepidote;

petals 5, oblong-spatulate, 5 mm, abaxial surface densely lepidote, scales translucent, petals appearing hyaline;

stamens 10–15.
Pistillate flowers

sepals 0;

petals 0;

ovary 1-locular;

style 1, 2–3 mm, unbranched.

sepals 5–7, connate for 1/2+ length, equal, 3–4 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface lepidote;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 2–4 mm, 1–3 times 2-fid at apex, terminal segments 6–24.
Capsules

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

columella absent.

5–6 × 3–4 mm, smooth;

columella 3-angled.
Seeds

3–5 × 2–3 mm, shiny.

4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, dull.
2n

= 20.

Croton setigerus

Croton argyranthemus
Phenology Flowering Jun–Oct. Flowering Mar–Sep.
Habitat Coastal sage scrub, foothill woodlands, valley grasslands, oak woodlands, edges of fields, dry stream beds, disturbed areas, roadsides. Deep sandy soils in pinelands, pine-oak scrub, sandhills.
Elevation 0–1900 m. (0–6200 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; NV; OR; UT; WA; Mexico (Baja California) [Introduced s South America (Chile), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; TX; Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Croton argyranthemus is closely related to C. coryi. Although they have very different kinds of vegetative indumentum, the staminate petals are characteristically silvery-lepidote in both species.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 223. FNA vol. 12, p. 211.
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. sancti-lazari, C. soliman, C. sonorae, C. suaveolens, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
C. alabamensis, C. argenteus, 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. setigerus, C. soliman, C. sonorae, C. suaveolens, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
Synonyms Eremocarpus setigerus
Name authority Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 141. (1838) — (as setigerum) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 215. (1803) — (as argyranthemum)
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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