Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton soliman

Croton heptalon

Soliman's croton

woolly croton
Habit Shrubs, 5–8 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 5–15 dm, monoecious; stems, leaves, and buds whitish-hairy when young, becoming glabrate.
Stems

sparsely branched distally, sparsely stellate-hairy.

well 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 linear, 2–7 mm;

petiole 0.5–5 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate-lanceolate, 3–10 × 1–5 cm, base cordate to rounded, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface pale green, not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, adaxial surface darker green, both stellate-hairy.
Inflorescences

bisexual, racemes, 2–4 cm, staminate flowers 10–30, pistillate flowers 3–6.

bisexual, racemes, 2–4 cm, staminate flowers 3–10, pistillate flowers 4–8.
Pedicels

staminate 1–5 mm, pistillate 2–5 mm.

staminate 2–4 mm, pistillate 1–2 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 (4–)5, 1–2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

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

stamens 9–12.
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 7–8, subequal, 3–6 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface whitish appressed-tomentose;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

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

6 × 5–6 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.

6–8 × 6–7 mm, smooth;

columella tipped with 3-pronged grappling hooklike appendage.
Seeds

4–5 × 3–4 mm, shiny.

4–5 × 2–2.5 mm, shiny.

Croton soliman

Croton heptalon
Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Dec.
Habitat Thickets, low ridges. Beaches, coastal dunes, roadsides.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; e Mexico; s Mexico
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; e Mexico
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Morphological differences among Croton heptalon and its multifid-styled relatives in sect. Heptallon, especially C. capitatus and C. lindheimeri, can be quite subtle. In general, C. heptalon can be distinguished from C. capitatus by its more elongate pistillate part of the inflorescence, non-recurving sepal tips in the pistillate flowers, and more cordate leaf bases on larger basal leaves. Whitish pubescence on its young growth and styles that branch once into four terminal segments distinguish C. heptalon from C. lindheimeri.

Croton muelleri J. M. Coulter, which is an illegitimate name, pertains here.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 223. FNA vol. 12, p. 217.
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. setigerus, 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. 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 Oxydectes heptalon, C. albinoides, C. capitatus var. albinoides, C. engelmannii var. albinoides, C. muelleri var. albinoides, Heptallon aromaticum
Name authority Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 6: 361. (1831) (Kuntze) B. W. van Ee & P. E. Berry: Syst. Bot. 35: 159. (2010)
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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