Croton argyranthemus

Michaux

Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 215. 1803. (as argyranthemum)

Common names: Healing or silver croton
Illustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 211. Mentioned on page 206, 207, 214.

Herbs or subshrubs, annual or short-lived perennial, 1–6 dm, monoecious. Stems several from base, branching distally into 2–4 branches, lepidote. Leaves not clustered; stipules subulate, 0.2 mm; petiole 0.2–1(–2) cm, glands absent at apex; blade on proximal parts of stems oval to narrowly obovate, on distal parts oblong to lanceolate-oblong or broadly elliptic, 1–5 × 0.5–2(–3) cm, base rounded to narrowed, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface silvery, densely lepidote, adaxial surface darker green, sparsely lepidote or glabrate. Inflorescences bisexual, racemes, 2–5 cm, staminate flowers 15–35, pistillate flowers 2–8. Pedicels: staminate 1–5 mm, pistillate 0–2 mm. Staminate flowers: sepals 5, 5 mm, abaxial surface lepidote; petals 5, oblong-spatulate, 5 mm, abaxial surface densely lepidote, scales translucent, petals appearing hyaline; stamens 10–15. Pistillate flowers: sepals 5–7, connate for 1/2+ length, equal, 3–4 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface lepidote; petals 0; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 2–4 mm, 1–3 times 2-fid at apex, terminal segments 6–24. Capsules 5–6 × 3–4 mm, smooth; columella 3-angled. Seeds 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, dull.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–Sep.
Habitat: Deep sandy soils in pinelands, pine-oak scrub, sandhills.
Elevation: 0–200 m.

Distribution

V12 1079-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., Tex., Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas).

Discussion

Croton argyranthemus is closely related to C. coryi. Although they have very different kinds of vegetative indumentum, the staminate petals are characteristically silvery-lepidote in both species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Croton argyranthemus"
Benjamin W. van Ee +  and Paul E. Berry +
Michaux +
Healing or silver croton +
Ala. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, Tex. +, Mexico (Nuevo León +  and Tamaulipas). +
0–200 m. +
Deep sandy soils in pinelands, pine-oak scrub, sandhills. +
Flowering Mar–Sep. +
Fl. Bor.-Amer. +
Illustrated +
Croton argyranthemus +
species +