Mexican croton Mexican croton

Shrubs, 2–10 dm, monoecious. Stems ± dichotomously branched, stellate-hairy. Leaves not clustered; stipules glandular-ciliate, 2–3 mm; petiole 1–3.5 cm, 1/2–7/10+ leaf blade length, stipitate-glandular at apex; blade ovate, 2–5 × 1–3 cm, base rounded to subcordate, margins entire glandular-ciliate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface pale green, densely stellate-hairy, adaxial surface darker green, sparsely stellate-hairy. Inflorescences bisexual, racemes, 1–2.5 cm, staminate flowers 3–10, pistillate flowers 1–8. Pedicels: staminate 0.5–1.5 mm, pistillate 2–3 mm. Staminate flowers: sepals 5, 3.5–4 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 5, spatulate, 2.5–3 mm, abaxial surface glabrous; stamens 20–30. Pistillate flowers: sepals 5, equal, 3–5 mm, margins entire, glandular-ciliate, apex straight, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 0; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 4–5 mm, 4-fid, terminal segments 12. Capsules 4–5 × 5–7 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. Seeds 4–5.5 × 2.5–3 mm, shiny. 2n = 20.

Flowering Oct–Dec. Rocky forested slopes, sandy flats; 0–2200 m; Ariz., Tex.; Mexico; West Indies.

Croton ciliatoglandulifer is characterized by the glandular projections on the leaf blade margins, stipules, and pistillate sepals. The species is closely related to C. humilis and C. soliman, which may intergrade with it. Croton ciliatoglandulifer presents an interesting disjunction in the United States from lowland southern Texas (0–150 m elevation) to upland southern Arizona (to 2200 m elevation).