Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

GLANDULAR CROTON

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Croton glandulosus L.

Pratt County, Kansas

Annual

Height: 8-20(-40) inches

Family: Euphorbiaceae - Spurge Family

Flowering Period: June, July, August, September,October

Also Called:

Tropic croton.

Stems:

Erect, much-branched. Plants monoecious; herbage light yellowish-green, sparsely to moderately stellate-pubesecent.

Leaves:

Alternate; stipules present, inconspicuous, often early-deciduous; petiole 1/12 to 4/5 inch; blade ovate to oblong-lanceolate, .26 to 2.8 inch long, .2 to 1.2 inch wide, base obtuse to truncate, with pairs of white or yellow, discoid, sessile or short-stipitate glands near point of attachment to petiole, margins serrate, tip rounded to acute.

Inflorescences:

Spikes or racemes, terminal and axillary, .4 to 1.2 inch; staminate and pistillate flowers in same spike, pistillate flowers proximal and staminate flowers distal; bracts present.

Flowers:

Staminate flowers: sepals 5, oblong to lanceolate, less than 1/20th inch; petals 5, oblanceolate, ca. 1/25 inch; stamens 7-13. Pistillate flowers: sepals 5, oblanceolate, 1/4 to 1/3 inch; petals 0 or 5 and rudimentary; styles 3, each divided 2 times, ultimate branches 6.

Fruits:

Capsules 3-seeded, not enveloped by persistent bracts, globose or short-oblong, 1/6 to 1/4 inch long, 1/6 to 1/5 inch wide. Seeds dark brown or mottled, ovoid, 1/8 to 1/6 inch.

Habitat:

Sandy tallgrass, mixed-grass, and sand prairies, sandy oak-hickory woodlands, roadsides, old fields.

Distribution:

East 2/3 of Kansas

Origin:

Native

Comments:

Croton glandulosa is a widespread and highly variable species. Croton, tick, alluding to shape of the seeds.

Glandular croton pistillate flowers and capsules