Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton suaveolens

Croton lindheimeri

scented croton

goatweed, Lindheimer's hogwort, woolly croton
Habit Shrubs, 2–5 dm, monoecious. Herbs, annual, 5–20 dm, monoecious, stems, leaves, and buds with yellow-brown (ochraceous) pubescence when young, becoming glabrate.
Stems

dichotomously much branched proximally, coarsely stellate-tomentose.

branching distally, stellate-hairy.
Leaves

often clustered near inflorescences;

stipules each 5–10 glandular papillae, 0.2–0.5 mm;

petiole 0.5–1.5 cm, 1/4 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex;

blade obovate or ovate to broadly elliptic, 2–5.4 × 1–3.6 cm, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surface pale green to cream, adaxial surface darker green, both densely stellate-hairy.

not clustered;

stipules linear, 0–5 mm;

petiole 1.5–7 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate-lanceolate, 3–7 × 1–3 cm, base cordate to rounded or subcordate, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface pale green, not appearing brown-dotted, no stellate hairs with brown centers, densely stellate-hairy, adaxial surface greener, more sparsely hairy.
Inflorescences

bisexual or staminate, racemes, 1–3 cm, staminate flowers 6–10, pistillate flowers 1–3.

bisexual, racemes, 1.5–3 cm, staminate flowers 8–15, pistillate flowers 2–7.
Pedicels

staminate 3–5 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm.

staminate 0.5–3 mm, pistillate 0–1 mm.
Staminate flowers

sepals 5, 2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5, spatulate or obovate, 0.4–0.6 mm, abaxial surface densely villous at base and along margins, otherwise glabrous;

stamens 12–16.

sepals (4–)5, 1.5–2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5, linear-oblong, 1–1.5 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

stamens 9–13.
Pistillate flowers

sepals 5, equal, 2.5 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals glandular papillae;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 4–6 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6.

sepals 7–8, equal, 5–7 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface yellowish woolly-tomentose;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 3–4 mm, 2 times 2-fid, terminal segments 12.
Capsules

7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.

6–8 × 8–9 mm, smooth;

columella tipped with 3-pronged grappling hooklike appendage.
Seeds

5.5–7 × 4–5 mm, shiny.

4–5 × 4–4.5 mm, shiny.
2n

= 20.

Croton suaveolens

Croton lindheimeri
Phenology Flowering Apr–Nov. Flowering May–Dec.
Habitat Rocky slopes, foothills. Old pastures, forest openings, bottomlands, fence rows, disturbed areas.
Elevation 1500–2000 m. (4900–6600 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo León)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MO; MS; SC; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Croton suaveolens is found in the flora area only in trans-Pecos Texas.

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

Croton lindheimeri is very similar to C. capitatus, and the two can sometimes be found growing together in northeastern Texas. Croton lindheimeri can be distinguished by its more ochraceous pubescence on young growth, consistently acute leaf tips, somewhat more elongated pistillate part of the raceme, and pistillate sepal tips that do not recurve after anthesis. Croton lindheimeri was reported from Indiana, adventive on ballast in 1898, and from Kansas based on a single 1883 collection from Miami County, but apparently did not become established in either state.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 224. FNA vol. 12, p. 218.
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. sonorae, 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. 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 Pilinophytum lindheimeri, C. capitatus var. lindheimeri
Name authority Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859) (Engelmann & A. Gray) Alph. Wood: Class-book Bot. ed. s.n.(b), 631. (1861)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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