California croton California croton

Hendecandra procumbens Eschscholtz, Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Pétersbourg Hist. Acad. 10: 287. 1826, not Croton procumbens Jacquin 1760; C. californicus var. longipes (M. E. Jones) A. M. Ferguson; C. californicus var. mohavensis A. M. Ferguson; C. californicus var. tenuis (S. Watson) A. M. Ferguson; C. longipes M. E. Jones; C. mohavensis (A. M. Ferguson) Tidestrom; C. tenuis S. Watson

Subshrubs or shrubs, 4–11 dm, dioecious. Stems loosely branched, stellate-lepidote. Leaves not clustered; stipules absent; petiole 1–3.5(–4.5) cm, usually less than 1/2 blade length, glands absent at apex; blade elliptic to narrowly oblong, 2–5.5(–7) × 0.8–2(–2.5) cm, usually more than 2 times as long as wide, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface light green, adaxial surface darker green, both stellate-lepidote. Inflorescences unisexual, racemes or thyrses; staminate 0.5–3.5(–10) cm, flowers 3–8(–20); pistillate 0.5–1 cm, flowers 1–6. Pedicels: staminate 1–5.5(–7) mm, pistillate to 1 mm (1–3 mm in fruit). Staminate flowers: sepals 5, 1 mm, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote; petals 0; stamens 10–15. Pistillate flowers: sepals 5, equal, 2 mm, margins entire, apex incurved, abaxial surface stellate-lepidote; petals 0; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 2–2.5 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments usually 12. Capsules 6–8 × 5–7 mm, smooth; columella 3-winged. Seeds 4–5.5 × 3.5–5.5 mm, dull. 2n = 28.

Flowering Feb–Oct. Sandy soils, sage scrub, dunes, washes; 0–900 m; Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah; Mexico (Baja California, Sinaloa).