Croton wigginsii |
Croton monanthogynus |
|
---|---|---|
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 |
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
|
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)
|
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 | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
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) |
Web links |