Croton texensis |
Croton sancti-lazari |
|
---|---|---|
doveweed, goatweed, skunkweed, Texas croton |
trans-Pecos croton |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, 2–7(–9) dm, dioecious. | Shrubs, 1–4 dm, dioecious. |
Stems | loosely branched distally, stellate-hairy. |
much branched proximally, coarsely stellate-tomentose. |
Leaves | not clustered; stipules absent; petiole 0.3–2 cm, glands absent at apex; blade narrowly ovate-oblong to linear-lanceolate, 1–5 × 0.5–2 cm, base truncate to rounded or subcordate, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, abaxial surface pale green, densely whitish appressed stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, less hairy. |
not clustered; stipules each 1 glandular papilla, 0.1 mm; petiole 0.1–0.4(–0.6) cm, 1/10–1/5 blade length, glands absent at apex; blade ovate to elliptic-ovate, 1–3(–4.5) × 0.5–1.5(–2) cm, base usually rounded to obtuse, rarely acute, margins entire, apex acute or rounded, abaxial surface pale green to pale yellow, stellate-tomentose, adaxial surface darker green, stellate-tomentose. |
Inflorescences | unisexual; staminate racemes or irregularly branched panicles, 2–8 cm, flowers 10–30; pistillate racemes, 1–2 cm, flowers 1–6. |
unisexual; staminate racemes, 1–3.3 cm, flowers 1–8; pistillate congested racemes, 0.1–0.3 cm, flowers 1–3. |
Pedicels | staminate 2–3 mm, pistillate 1–3 mm. |
staminate 1 mm, pistillate 0–0.5 mm. |
Staminate flowers | sepals 5, 1–2 mm, abaxial surface densely whitish appressed stellate-hairy; petals 0; stamens 8–12. |
sepals (4–)5, 2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals (4–)5, narrowly oblanceolate, 1.8–2 mm, abaxial surface nearly glabrous; stamens 9–12. |
Pistillate flowers | sepals 5, equal, 1–1.5 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface densely stipitate-stellate-hairy; petals 0; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 1–2 mm, multifid, terminal segments 12–32+. |
sepals 5, equal, 1 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 0 or rudimentary; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 1.5–2 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6. |
Capsules | 5–8 × 4–5.5 mm, verrucose; columella 3-winged. |
4–5 × 5.5–6 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 3.5–4 × 2.5–3 mm, shiny. |
3.6–4.7 × 2.8–3.4 mm, shiny. |
2n | = 28. |
|
Croton texensis |
Croton sancti-lazari |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Nov. | Flowering Oct–Nov. |
Habitat | Prairies, sandy creek beds, old fields, canyons, disturbed areas. | Rocky hillsides. |
Elevation | 50–2000 m. (200–6600 ft.) | 900–1200 m. (3000–3900 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; AZ; CO; DE; FL; IA; IL; KS; MD; MO; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; UT; WI; WV; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
|
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila) |
Discussion | Croton texensis, despite being annual, grows larger than the related perennial C. dioicus. Croton texensis has verrucose fruits similar to those of the closely related C. parksii. There is a single specimen of Croton texensis from Massachusetts, collected at a dump in Boston in 1890, but the species did not become established there. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Croton sancti-lazari in the flora area grows only in Brewster and Presidio counties. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 224. | FNA vol. 12, p. 222. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Hendecandra texensis, C. luteovirens, C. texensis var. utahensis, C. virens | C. abruptus |
Name authority | (Klotzsch) Müller Arg.: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 692. (1866) | Croizat: J. Arnold Arbor. 26: 185. (1945) |
Web links |