Croton sonorae |
Croton argyranthemus |
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Sonora croton, Sonoran croton |
healing croton, silver croton, silverleaf croton |
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Habit | Shrubs, 8–16 dm, monoecious. | Herbs or subshrubs, annual or short-lived perennial, 1–6 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | much-branched distally, canescent when young, becoming glabrate. |
several from base, branching distally into 2–4 branches, lepidote. |
Leaves | sometimes clustered near inflorescences; stipules subulate, to 1 mm; petiole 0.4–1 cm, 1/4–1/2 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex; blade ovate to broadly lanceolate, 0.8–4 × 0.6–2 cm, base cuneate to rounded or cordate, margins entire, not undulate, ciliate-glandular, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface pale green, sparsely whitish stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, glabrate. |
not clustered; stipules subulate, 0.2 mm; petiole 0.2–1(–2) cm, glands absent at apex; blade on proximal parts of stems oval to narrowly obovate, on distal parts oblong to lanceolate-oblong or broadly elliptic, 1–5 × 0.5–2(–3) cm, base rounded to narrowed, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface silvery, densely lepidote, adaxial surface darker green, sparsely lepidote or glabrate. |
Inflorescences | bisexual or staminate, racemes, 2–14 cm, staminate flowers 10–25, pistillate flowers 3–5(–8). |
bisexual, racemes, 2–5 cm, staminate flowers 15–35, pistillate flowers 2–8. |
Pedicels | staminate 1–1.5 mm, pistillate 1–4 mm. |
staminate 1–5 mm, pistillate 0–2 mm. |
Staminate flowers | sepals 5, 1–1.5 mm, abaxial surface sparsely stellate-hairy; petals 5, lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins villous; stamens 13–16. |
sepals 5, 5 mm, abaxial surface lepidote; petals 5, oblong-spatulate, 5 mm, abaxial surface densely lepidote, scales translucent, petals appearing hyaline; stamens 10–15. |
Pistillate flowers | sepals 5, equal, 1.5–2 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface sparsely stellate-hairy; petals papillae, 0.5 mm; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 2–3 mm, 2-fid, terminal segments 6. |
sepals 5–7, connate for 1/2+ length, equal, 3–4 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface lepidote; petals 0; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 2–4 mm, 1–3 times 2-fid at apex, terminal segments 6–24. |
Capsules | 7–8 × 5–6 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
5–6 × 3–4 mm, smooth; columella 3-angled. |
Seeds | 6–7 × 3–4 mm, shiny. |
4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, dull. |
Croton sonorae |
Croton argyranthemus |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Sep. | Flowering Mar–Sep. |
Habitat | Rocky slopes, desert scrub. | Deep sandy soils in pinelands, pine-oak scrub, sandhills. |
Elevation | 500–1100 m. (1600–3600 ft.) | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
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AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; TX; Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
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Discussion | Croton sonorae is widely distributed in Mexico and extends into southern Arizona in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Croton argyranthemus is closely related to C. coryi. Although they have very different kinds of vegetative indumentum, the staminate petals are characteristically silvery-lepidote in both species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 223. | FNA vol. 12, p. 211. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. attenuatus, C. pringlei | |
Name authority | Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859) | Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 215. (1803) — (as argyranthemum) |
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