Contains 9 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
Classification
Citation
CROTON Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1004. 1753.
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TYPE: Croton tiglium Linnaeus Lectotypified by Small, in Britton & A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S., ed. 2. 2: 454. 1913.
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croton capitatus | Woolly Croton, Hogwort, Capitate Croton | |||
| Croton elliottii | Pondshore Croton, Elliott's Croton | |||
| Croton glandulosus var. septentrionalis | Doveweed, Tooth-leaved Croton, Sand Croton | |||
| Croton lindheimeri | ||||
| Croton lindheimerianus var. lindheimerianus | ||||
| Croton michauxii | Sand Rushfoil, Michaux's Croton, Narrowleaf Rushfoil | |||
| Croton monanthogynus | Prairie-tea, One-seed Croton | |||
| Croton punctatus | Silverleaf Croton, Beach-tea, Gulf Croton | |||
| Croton willdenowii | Glade Rushfoil, Outcrop Rushfoil, Broadleaf Rushfoil, Willdenow's Croton |
Identification Key
1. Leaf blade coarsely serrate to crenate
2
1. Leaf blade entire, undulate, rarely with teeth
4
2. Leaf blade deltate-lanceolate
2. Leaf blade ovate to elliptic
3
3. Leaf blades 0.5-2 cm long, glabrate; fruit glabrate
3. Larger leaf blades 1.8-7 cm long, stellate-pubescent; fruit stellate-pubescent
4. Leaf blade underside densely silvery lepidote, the scales ciliate, silvery and often brownish centrally, the underside appearing brown-speckled silvery
5
4. Leaf blade underside stellate-pubescent, lacking scales, not appearing brown-speckled silvery
8
5. Leaf blade 2-7 mm wide, linear to linear-lanceolate; fruit 1-seeded
6
5. Leaf blade 7-45 mm wide, elliptic to ovate; fruit 3-seeded
7
6. Leaf blade upper surface trichomes not overlapping; inflorescence 1-3 cm long; fruit scales with a minute central disc with long radial arms
6. Leaf blade upper surface trichomes overlapping; inflorescence 0.2-1 cm long; fruit scales with a broad central disc with very short radial arms
7. Herbs to subshrubs to 60 cm tall; petioles <½ length of the blade; leaf blades primarily elliptic; staminate petals 5, pistillate petals absent
7. Shrubs to 1 m tall; petioles mostly >½ length of the blade; leaf blades primarily ovate; staminate and pistillate petals absent
8. Leaf blades primarily ovate to lanceolate with deltoid-acute apices, the lateral veins usually conspicuous on the blade underside
9
8. Leaf blades primarily linear, elliptic, to oblong, infrequently ovate-lanceolate, with rounded, obtuse, to rounded-acute apices, the lateral veins obscured to inconspicuous, rarely a few conspicuous on the blade underside
10
9. Shrub with generally sparse pubescence, not densely woolly, sometimes glandular; leaf blade with only 1 pair of basal lateral veins, the midrib scarcely prominent to flat on the underside
9. Annual herb with densely woolly pubescence especially on young tissue, eglandular; leaf blade usually with 2-3 pairs of basal lateral veins, the midrib stout and prominent on the underside
10. Shrubs; petiole with 2 glands at the apex
11
10. Annual herbs; petiole lacking glands
12
11. Leaf blade elliptic to oblong, with a somewhat stout cuspidate (sometimes involute) apex
11. Leaf blade linear to oblong with a minute mucro at the flat apex
12. Plant monoecious; inflorescence bisexual; staminate petals 5, 0.8-1 mm long; pistillate petals absent; fruit smooth; seeds 4-4.5 mm long, 3-4 mm wide
12. Plant dioecious; inflorescence unisexual; staminate and pistillate petals absent; fruit verrucose; seeds 3.5-4 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| No synonyms found. | |||