Croton heptalon
(Woolly Croton)
Croton heptalon, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 8651
Croton heptalon, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 8644
Croton heptalon, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 9027
Croton heptalon, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 9017
Croton heptalon, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 9014
Croton heptalon, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 8659
| Scientific Name | Croton heptalon | USDA PLANTS Symbol | N/A |
| Common Name | South Texas Woolly Croton, Woolly Croton | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 845497 |
| Family | Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) | SEINet Reference |
Click Here |
| Description | Habitat: Sandy soils along roadsides, beaches and coastal dunes. Plant: Annual, 20 to 60 inches tall, branched upwards; stems, leaves, and buds whitish-hairy when young, becoming smooth with age. Leaves: Alternate, ovate-lanceolate, 1-1/4 to 4 inches long and 3/8 to 2 inches wide; entire and tip is acute; lower surface is pale green, not appearing brown-dotted, and upper surface is darker green, both are stellate-hairy; petioles are 1/5 to 2 inches long. Inflorescence: Small blossoms clustered in short racemes 0.8 to 1.6 inches long; each staminate (male) cluster with 3 to 10 flowers, each flower with 5 very short (less than 1.5 mm) petals, 9 to 12 stamens, 4 or 5 hairy sepals; each pistillate (female) cluster with 4 to 8 flowers, each flower with 3 styles, no petals, 7 or 8 hairy sepals, 1/8 to 1/4-inch long. Fruit: Mostly round, smooth capsules about 1/4-inch diameter, 4 or 5 -seeded. Bloom Period: May to December. References: Flora of North America and iNaturalist. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Texas Status: Native |
Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County
© Tom Lebsack 2024