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Wiggins' croton

one-seed croton, prairie tea

Habit Shrubs, 2–10 dm, dioecious. Herbs, annual, 2–5 dm, monoecious.
Stems

densely branched, appressed-lepidote.

dichotomously branched from near base, stellate-hairy, some stellate hairs with dark brown centers.

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.

sometimes clustered near inflorescences;

stipules glandlike, 0.1–0.3 mm;

petiole 0.3–1.5 cm, glands absent at apex;

blade ovate-oblong to nearly round (proximal) to narrowly elliptic (distal), 1–3.5 × 0.5–3 cm, base obtuse to rounded or truncate, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, abaxial surface pale green, sparsely whitish stellate-hairy and appearing brown-dotted, some hairs with dark brown centers, adaxial surface darker green, densely stellate-hairy, hairs without brown centers.

Inflorescences

unisexual, racemes or thyrses;

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

pistillate 0.5–1 cm, flowers 1–6.

bisexual or sometimes pistillate, congested racemes, 0.3–1 cm, staminate flowers 3–10, pistillate flowers 1–2(–5).

Pedicels

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

staminate 0.5–2 mm, pistillate 1–2.5 mm (2–3 mm and recurved in fruit).

Staminate flowers

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

petals 0;

stamens 10–15.

sepals 3–5, 0.7–1 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy;

petals 3–5, narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, 0.7–1 mm, abaxial surface glabrous except margins villous;

stamens 3–5.

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, subequal, 1.5–2 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy, some hairs with dark brown centers;

petals 0;

ovary 2-locular, 1 fertile;

styles 2, 0.8–1.2(–1.5) mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 4.

Capsules

7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth;

columella 3-winged.

appearing follicular (1-seeded), 3.5–4.5 × 1.8–2.2 mm, smooth;

columella ± curved, apparently deciduous upon dehiscence of capsule.

Seeds

6.5–7 × 2–3 mm, dull.

2.5–3.3 × 2–2.5 mm, shiny.

2n

= 28.

= 20.

Croton wigginsii

Croton monanthogynus

Phenology Flowering Feb–May. Flowering May–Nov.
Habitat Sand dunes. Prairies, sandstone and limestone glades, thinly wooded bluffs, fallow fields, other disturbed habitats.
Elevation 10–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NM; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
[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 monanthogynus may be adventive in the northernmost states.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 224. FNA vol. 12, p. 220.
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. 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. parksii, C. pottsii, C. punctatus, C. sancti-lazari, C. setigerus, C. soliman, C. sonorae, C. suaveolens, C. texensis, C. wigginsii
Synonyms C. arenicola Engelmannia nuttalliana, Gynamblosis monanthogyna, Heptallon ellipticum, Oxydectes monanthogyna
Name authority L. C. Wheeler: Contr. Gray Herb. 124: 37. (1939) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 215. (1803) — (as monanthogynum)
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