Croton soliman |
Croton fruticulosus |
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Soliman's croton |
bush croton, encinilla, hierba loca, shrubby croton |
|
Habit | Shrubs, 5–8 dm, monoecious. | Shrubs, 2–10 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | sparsely branched distally, sparsely stellate-hairy. |
much branched distally, stellate-hairy. |
Leaves | 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. |
not clustered; stipules rudimentary or absent; petiole 0.4–1(–1.5) cm, 1/8–1/5 blade length, glands absent at apex; blade ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 2–8 × 2–4 cm, base truncate to cordate, margins serrulate, often slightly undulate, apex attenuate, acute, abaxial surface pale green, stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, puberulent. |
Inflorescences | bisexual, racemes, 2–4 cm, staminate flowers 10–30, pistillate flowers 3–6. |
bisexual, racemes, 3–12 cm, staminate flowers 10–20, pistillate flowers 2–5. |
Pedicels | staminate 1–5 mm, pistillate 2–5 mm. |
staminate 2.5–4 mm, pistillate 0–0.5 mm. |
Staminate flowers | 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. |
sepals 5, 0.8–1.2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-tomentose; petals 5, oblanceolate to spatulate, 2 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins densely fimbrillate-villous; stamens 9–16. |
Pistillate flowers | 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. |
sepals 5, equal, 2.2 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 0; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 3–4.5 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6. |
Capsules | 6 × 5–6 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
5–6 mm diam., smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 4–5 × 3–4 mm, shiny. |
4–5 × 3.2–3.8 mm, shiny. |
Croton soliman |
Croton fruticulosus |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering May–Dec. |
Habitat | Thickets, low ridges. | Limestone or basalt hills. |
Elevation | 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) | 100–1700 m. (300–5600 ft.) |
Distribution |
TX; e Mexico; s Mexico |
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
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Discussion | 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.) |
Croton fruticulosus is known in the flora area from southeastern Arizona through southern New Mexico and trans-Pecos Texas to the Edwards Plateau. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 223. | FNA vol. 12, p. 214. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 6: 361. (1831) | Engelmann ex Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859) — (as fruticulosum) |
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