Croton soliman |
Croton wigginsii |
|
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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 |
TX; e Mexico; s Mexico |
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
|
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 | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. arenicola | |
Name authority | Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 6: 361. (1831) | L. C. Wheeler: Contr. Gray Herb. 124: 37. (1939) |
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