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Sonora croton, Sonoran croton

healing croton, silver croton, silverleaf croton

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

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
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; TX; Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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 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. soliman, C. suaveolens, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
C. alabamensis, C. argenteus, 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, C. wigginsii
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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