Summary of the Four Crotons Plus One

This post concludes the Crotons. Wheee!

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Recap of the capsules:

Woolly Croton’s capsules are very fuzzy and 3 styles multi-fid.

Threeseed Croton’s capsules are crowded short hairs, wide cupped sepals, and 3 styles bifid to base.

One-seed Croton or Prairie Tea’s capsules are crowded short hairs, sepals not wide, and 2 styles bifid to base. One other characteristic is some the stellate hairs have brown centers especially on the sepals, petioles, and stem. Loupe required.

Tooth-leaved Croton’s capsules are sparser longer hairs, sepals not wide, and 3 styles bifid.

Recap of leaves:

Woolly Croton’s leaves are entire (smooth edges), base cordate (heart shaped) to rounded, and ovate to lanceolate.

Threeseed Croton’s leaves are entire, base rounded, and lanceolate to suborbiculate.

One-seed Croton/Prairie Tea’s leaves are entire, rounded to truncated, and ovate-oblong to nearly round.

Tooth-leaved Croton’s leaves are toothed and far fewer hairs. This Croton species is the only one in FNCT that has toothed leaves. Additionally at the base of leaves are two tiny glands on pedestals.

So the above four Crotons are the most common ones. Indeed these species are all found at the Pollinator Ranch. However there is a less common species that can be found in Wise County, the Texas Croton (Croton texensis) shown below.

So that is my recap of the Crotons in North Texas! One more thing if you don’t have a loupe you are missing out. 😉

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