Flora of North America species comparison

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Croton wigginsii

Croton ciliatoglandulifer

Wiggins' croton

bush croton, Mexican croton
Habit Shrubs, 2–10 dm, dioecious. Shrubs, 2–10 dm, monoecious.
Stems

densely branched, appressed-lepidote.

± dichotomously branched, stellate-hairy.
Leaves

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.

not clustered;

stipules glandular-ciliate, 2–3 mm;

petiole 1–3.5 cm, 1/2–7/10+ leaf blade length, stipitate-glandular at apex;

blade ovate, 2–5 × 1–3 cm, base rounded to subcordate, margins entire glandular-ciliate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface pale green, densely stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, sparsely stellate-hairy.
Inflorescences

unisexual, racemes or thyrses;

staminate 1–3.5(–10) cm, flowers 3–8(–15);

pistillate 0.5–1 cm, flowers 1–6.

bisexual, racemes, 1–2.5 cm, staminate flowers 3–10, pistillate flowers 1–8.
Pedicels

staminate 1–7 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm (4–7 mm in fruit).

staminate 0.5–1.5 mm, pistillate 2–3 mm.
Staminate flowers

sepals 5, 1 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

stamens 10–15.

sepals 5, 3.5–4 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 5, spatulate, 2.5–3 mm, abaxial surface glabrous;

stamens 20–30.
Pistillate flowers

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, 3–5 mm, margins entire, glandular-ciliate, apex straight, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 0;

ovary 3-locular;

styles 3, 4–5 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments 12.
Capsules

7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth;

columella 3-winged.

4–5 × 5–7 mm, smooth;

columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes.
Seeds

6.5–7 × 2–3 mm, dull.

4–5.5 × 2.5–3 mm, shiny.
2n

= 28.

= 20.

Croton wigginsii

Croton ciliatoglandulifer
Phenology Flowering Feb–May. Flowering Oct–Dec.
Habitat Sand dunes. Rocky forested slopes, sandy flats.
Elevation 10–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 0–2200 m. (0–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; TX; Mexico; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Croton ciliatoglandulifer is characterized by the glandular projections on the leaf blade margins, stipules, and pistillate sepals. The species is closely related to C. humilis and C. soliman, which may intergrade with it. Croton ciliatoglandulifer presents an interesting disjunction in the United States from lowland southern Texas (0–150 m elevation) to upland southern Arizona (to 2200 m elevation).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 224. FNA vol. 12, p. 213.
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. suaveolens, C. texensis
C. alabamensis, C. argenteus, C. argyranthemus, C. californicus, C. capitatus, 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. arenicola
Name authority L. C. Wheeler: Contr. Gray Herb. 124: 37. (1939) Ortega: Nov. Pl. Descr. Dec., 51. (1797) — (as cilato-glanduliferum)
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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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