Croton soliman |
Croton humilis |
|
---|---|---|
Soliman's croton |
low croton, pepperbush, salvia |
|
Habit | Shrubs, 5–8 dm, monoecious. | Shrubs, 3–8 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | sparsely branched distally, sparsely stellate-hairy. |
much branched, stellate-hairy, viscid. |
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 2–5 stipitate glands, to 0.5 mm; petiole 0.7–3(–5) cm, 3/8–5/8 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex; blade ovate to oblong, 1.5–8 × 1–2(–5) cm, base rounded to subcordate, margins entire to minutely glandular-denticulate, apex abruptly acute to acuminate, both surfaces pale green, abaxial densely stellate-hairy, adaxial tomentose, glabrescent. |
Inflorescences | bisexual, racemes, 2–4 cm, staminate flowers 10–30, pistillate flowers 3–6. |
bisexual or unisexual, racemes, 3–7 cm, staminate flowers 20–35, pistillate flowers 2–6. |
Pedicels | staminate 1–5 mm, pistillate 2–5 mm. |
staminate 3–4 mm, pistillate 1–2(–3) 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, 3–4 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 5, spatulate, 3–4 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins ciliate basally; stamens 15–35. |
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, 4 mm, margins entire, sessile- or shortly stipitate-glandular, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 0 or 5, white, subulate, 1 mm; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 3–5 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments 12. |
Capsules | 6 × 5–6 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
4–5 × 4 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 4–5 × 3–4 mm, shiny. |
3–4 × 2.5–3 mm, shiny. |
2n | = 20. |
|
Croton soliman |
Croton humilis |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering year-round. |
Habitat | Thickets, low ridges. | Hammocks, thickets, disturbed areas. |
Elevation | 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) | 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) |
Distribution |
TX; e Mexico; s Mexico |
FL; TX; e Mexico; se Mexico; West Indies |
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 humilis is a mainly West Indian species extending from southernmost Florida (Collier and Monroe counties) to the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, and up the Caribbean coast of Mexico to southernmost Texas (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Willacy, and Zapata counties). Texas plants have more stamens (30–35) than Florida plants (15–20). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 223. | FNA vol. 12, p. 217. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. berlandieri | |
Name authority | Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 6: 361. (1831) | Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1276. (1759) — (as humile) |
Web links |