Croton wigginsii
Croton alabamensis
Wiggins' croton
Alabama croton
densely branched, appressed-lepidote.
usually well branched distally, lepidote.
not clustered;
stipules absent;
petiole 1–4 cm, usually less than 1/2 blade length, glands absent at apex;
blade narrowly elliptic to linear-oblong, 2–8.5 × 0.6–1.5 cm, more than 2 times as long as wide, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface pale green, adaxial surface darker green, both densely pale stellate-lepidote.
clustered at branch tips;
stipules absent;
petiole 0.6–2 cm, glands absent at apex;
blade elliptic, ovate, or oblong, 3–10 × 1.5–5 cm, base rounded to obtuse, margins entire, sometimes ± undulate, apex acute, rounded, or emarginate, abaxial surface silvery or coppery, densely lepidote, adaxial surface green, sparsely lepidote.
unisexual, racemes or thyrses;
staminate 1–3.5(–10) cm, flowers 3–8(–15);
pistillate 0.5–1 cm, flowers 1–6.
bisexual or unisexual, racemes, 2–4.5 cm, staminate flowers 0–15, pistillate flowers 0–10.
staminate 1–7 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm (4–7 mm in fruit).
staminate 2.2–4 mm, pistillate 2.2–7.5 mm (7–11 mm in fruit).
sepals 5, 1 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;
petals 0;
stamens 10–15.
sepals 5, 1.1–2.9 mm, abaxial surface lepidote;
petals 5, oblong-ovate, 2–3.1 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins stellate-ciliate;
stamens 10–22.
sepals 5, equal, 2 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote;
petals 0;
ovary 3-locular;
styles 3, 1.5–2.5 mm, 2–3 times 2-fid, terminal segments 12–24.
sepals 5, equal, 2–4.5 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface lepidote;
petals 5, pale green, ovate, 2–3.5 mm;
ovary 3-locular;
styles 3, 2–5 mm, usually unbranched, rarely 2-fid, terminal segments 3 (or 6).
7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth;
columella 3-winged.
1.6–2.5 × 2–3 mm, smooth;
columella 3-angled.
6.5–7 × 2–3 mm, dull.
6.7–8 × 5.2–6 mm, shiny.
= 28.
Croton wigginsii
Croton alabamensis
Croton wigginsii is closely related to C. californicus but more robust in its habit and floral features, and is restricted to sand dunes in a limited area of the Sonoran Desert. In the flora area, C. wigginsii is known only from Yuma County, Arizona, and Imperial County, California.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
B. W. van Ee et al. (2006) examined populations of Croton alabamensis using DNA sequence and AFLP data, and their results supported the recognition of two varieties and an isolated position in the genus. Buds develop in the summer and fall for the following spring's flowers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaf blade abaxial surfaces silvery, scales mostly unpigmented or light amber, some dark blackish brown scales sometimes present; inflorescences 9–18-flowered, producing 0–11 fruits; Alabama. | var. alabamensis |
1. Leaf blade abaxial surfaces coppery, some scales unpigmented, others with dark reddish brown center and reddish amber rays; inflorescences 6–14-flowered, producing 0–6 fruits; Texas. | var. texensis |
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