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Croton lachnocarpus

(Hairyfruit Croton)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Hairyfruit Croton

Description

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Family Euphorbiaceae

The Euphorbiaceae are mostly monoecious herbs, shrubs , and trees , sometimes succulent and cactus-like, comprising one of the largest families of plants with about 300 genera and 7,500 species that are further characterized by the frequent occurrence of milky sap . The leaves are mostly alternate but may be opposite or whorled and they are simple , or compound , or sometimes highly reduced. Stipules are generally present but may be reduced to hairs , glands or spines. The flowers are unisexual and usually actinomorphic . They may be highly reduced by suppression of parts, in the extreme form consisting of a naked stamen as a male flower and a naked pistil as a female flower. A specialized type of miniature inflorescence called a cyathium occurs in about 1,500 species comprising the genera Euphorbia and Chamaesyce. The cyathium consists of a single naked pistillate flower surrounded by cymes of naked staminate flowers, each consisting of a single stamen. These flowers are all enclosed in a cup-like involucre that typically is provided with peripheral nectaries and petaloid appendages such that the whole aggregation closely resembles a single flower. In other members of the family the flowers and inflorescences are more ordinary in appearance , with male and female flowers typically bearing a 5-merous calyx and corolla of distinct segments, although the corolla is sometimes absent. In these forms the androecium most commonly consists of 5, 10 or sometimes numerous distinct or monadelphous stamens. The gynoecium of female flowers consists of a single compound pistil of typically 3 carpels, an equal number of styles or primary style branches, and a superior ovary with typically 3 locules, each bearing 1 or 2 collateral , axile-apical pendulous ovules. The fruit is usually a capsular schizocarp. -- Gerald Carr.

Physical Description

Species Croton lachnocarpus

Shrubs 1-3 m tall; indumentum densely stellate-pubescent, older branches subglabrous. Petiole (1-) 2-4(-6) cm, densely stellate-pubescent, apex or base of leaf blade with 2 stalked and cupular glands ; leaf blade oblong-elliptic to elliptic-ovate, rarely oblong-lanceolate, 4-10(-13) × 1.5-4(-5) cm, papery , glabrescent or only along nerves with stellate pubescence , slightly rugged adaxially, densely stellate-pubescent abaxially, base rounded to shallowly cordate, margin obscurely serrulate , usually with stalked and cupular glands, apex obtuse or acute to acuminate; basal veins 3, lateral veins 4-6. Inflorescences 1-3, terminal , 6-15 cm; bracts subulate , ca. 1 mm. Male flowers: sepals ovate-triangular, stellate-pubescent; petals oblong ; stamens 10-12. Female flowers: sepals lanceolate, 2-4 mm, stellate-pubescent; ovary yellow tomentose ; styles linear , 4-6 mm, bifid. Capsules slightly oblate , 6-12 mm in diam., hairy . Seeds ellipsoidal , dark brown, smooth . Fl. Apr-May, fr. Jun-Sep. [source]

Habitat

Sparsely forested slopes , thickets; 100-900 m [1].

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Croton bonianus Gagnep. • Croton calococcus Kurz • Croton kwangsiensis Croizat • Croton lachnocarpus var. kwangsiensis (Croizat) H. S. Kiu • Croton murex Croizat • Croton trachycaulis Airy Shaw • Mallotus yifengensis Hu & F. H. Chen • Mallotus yifungensis Hu & Chen. • Oxydectes lachnocarpa (Benth.) Kuntze

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 11-Nov-2003

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Croton

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 61 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

C. alabamensis (Alabama Croton) · C. alabamensis var. alabamensis (Alabama Croton) · C. alabamensis var. texensis (Alabama Croton) · C. argenteus (Silver July Croton) · C. argyranthemus (Healing Croton) · C. astroites (Wild Marrow) · C. betulinus (Beechleaf Croton) · C. bonplandianus (Bonpland's Croton) · C. californicus (California Croton) · C. californicus var. californicus (California Croton) · C. capitatus (Hogwort) · C. capitatus var. lindheimeri (Lindheimers Hogwort) · C. cascarilla (Grannybush) · C. ciliatoglandulifer (Mexican Croton) · C. cortesianus (Cortez's Croton) · C. coryi (Cory's Croton) · C. dioicus (Grassland Croton) · C. discolor (Lechecillo) · C. elliottii (Elliott's Croton) · C. eluteria (Cascarilla) · C. fishlockii (Fishlock's Croton) · C. flavens (Yellow Balsam) · C. fruticulosus (Bush Croton) · C. glandulosus (Lindheimer's Croton) · C. glandulosus var. glandulosus (Vente Conmigo) · C. heterocarpus (Croton) · C. humilis (Low Croton) · C. impressus (Puerto Rico Croton) · C. incanus (Torrey Croton) · C. lachnocarpus (Hairyfruit Croton) · C. leucophyllus (Two-Color Croton) · C. lindheimerianus (Lindheimer's Croton) · C. lindheimerianus var. tharpii (Tharp Croton) · C. lucidus (Firebush) · C. macrobotrys (Sangue-De-Drago) · C. michauxii (Michauxs Croton) · C. microcarpus (Money Croton) · C. monanthogynus (Prairie Tea) · C. ovalifolius (Yerba) · C. parksii (Parks Croton) · C. poecilanthus (Sabinon) · C. pottsii (Leather-Weed) · C. pottsii var. pottsii (Leather Croton) · C. pottsii var. thermophilus (Leatherweed) · C. punctatus (Gulf Croton) · C. ripensis (Croton) · C. sampatik (Perennial Croton Species) · C. sancti-lazari (Trans Pecos Croton) · C. scouleri (Chala) · C. sessiliflorus (Amansa Guapo) · C. setiger (Doveweed) · C. setigerus (Croton) · C. soliman (Soliman Croton) · C. sonorae (Sonoran Croton) · C. stenophyllus (West Indian Croton) · C. suaveolens (Scented Croton) · C. texensis (Texas Croton) · C. tiglium (Croton Oil Plant) · C. trinitatis (Roadside Croton) · C. wigginsii (Wiggins' Croton) · C. willdenowii (Elliptical Rushfoil)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. "Croton lachnocarpus". in Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 259, 262. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 7/16/2012