Croton texensis |
Croton suaveolens |
|
---|---|---|
doveweed, goatweed, skunkweed, Texas croton |
scented croton |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, 2–7(–9) dm, dioecious. | Shrubs, 2–5 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | loosely branched distally, stellate-hairy. |
dichotomously 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. |
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. |
Inflorescences | unisexual; staminate racemes or irregularly branched panicles, 2–8 cm, flowers 10–30; pistillate racemes, 1–2 cm, flowers 1–6. |
bisexual or staminate, racemes, 1–3 cm, staminate flowers 6–10, pistillate flowers 1–3. |
Pedicels | staminate 2–3 mm, pistillate 1–3 mm. |
staminate 3–5 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm. |
Staminate flowers | sepals 5, 1–2 mm, abaxial surface densely whitish appressed stellate-hairy; petals 0; stamens 8–12. |
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. |
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, 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. |
Capsules | 5–8 × 4–5.5 mm, verrucose; columella 3-winged. |
7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 3.5–4 × 2.5–3 mm, shiny. |
5.5–7 × 4–5 mm, shiny. |
2n | = 28. |
|
Croton texensis |
Croton suaveolens |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Nov. | Flowering Apr–Nov. |
Habitat | Prairies, sandy creek beds, old fields, canyons, disturbed areas. | Rocky slopes, foothills. |
Elevation | 50–2000 m. (200–6600 ft.) | 1500–2000 m. (4900–6600 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 (Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo León) |
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 suaveolens is found in the flora area only in trans-Pecos Texas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 224. | FNA vol. 12, p. 224. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Hendecandra texensis, C. luteovirens, C. texensis var. utahensis, C. virens | |
Name authority | (Klotzsch) Müller Arg.: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 692. (1866) | Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859) |
Web links |