The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Soliman's croton

Wiggins' croton

Habit Shrubs, 5–8 dm, monoecious. Shrubs, 2–10 dm, dioecious.
Stems

sparsely branched distally, sparsely stellate-hairy.

densely branched, appressed-lepidote.

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 absent;

petiole 1–4 cm, usually less than 1/2 blade length, glands absent at apex;

blade narrowly elliptic to linear-oblong, 2–8.5 × 0.6–1.5 cm, more than 2 times as long as wide, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface pale green, adaxial surface darker green, both densely pale stellate-lepidote.

Inflorescences

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

unisexual, racemes or thyrses;

staminate 1–3.5(–10) cm, flowers 3–8(–15);

pistillate 0.5–1 cm, flowers 1–6.

Pedicels

staminate 1–5 mm, pistillate 2–5 mm.

staminate 1–7 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm (4–7 mm in fruit).

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, 1 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

stamens 10–15.

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 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 1.5–2.5 mm, 2–3 times 2-fid, terminal segments 12–24.

Capsules

6 × 5–6 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.

7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth;

columella 3-winged.

Seeds

4–5 × 3–4 mm, shiny.

6.5–7 × 2–3 mm, dull.

2n

= 28.

Croton soliman

Croton wigginsii

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Feb–May.
Habitat Thickets, low ridges. Sand dunes.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 10–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; e Mexico; s Mexico
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Croton wigginsii is closely related to C. californicus but more robust in its habit and floral features, and is restricted to sand dunes in a limited area of the Sonoran Desert. In the flora area, C. wigginsii is known only from Yuma County, Arizona, and Imperial County, California.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 223. FNA vol. 12, p. 224.
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. 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
Synonyms C. arenicola
Name authority Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 6: 361. (1831) L. C. Wheeler: Contr. Gray Herb. 124: 37. (1939)
Web links