Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Gulf Croton - Croton punctatus   Jacquin
Members of Euphorbiaceae:
Members of Croton with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Euphorbiales » Family Euphorbiaceae
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AuthorJacquin
DistributionSouthern 2/3 of the Outer Banks and other barrier islands; rare on the adjacent mainland. Salvo in Dare County is the species' northern range limit.

Maritime -- NC to southern FL and TX; Mex., W.I., C.A., northern S.A.
AbundanceFrequent to common, along the southern 2/3 of the coast.
HabitatMaritime dunes, dune hollows, maritime dry grasslands.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting late May-November.
IdentificationGulf Croton grows 1.5-3 feet tall, looking like a small shrub (though is an herb that dies back each fall) and is covered with stellate hairs, giving the plant a very pale green appearance. Leaves are ovate (with entire margins) and up to 1.5 inches wide, and the undersides have a red-brown dot at the center of each stellate hair. Inflorescences are small and in leaf axils. It has a layered, flat-topped look, generally wider than tall; and with its very pale coloration, it is unmistakable and often readily found in its dune habitats.
Taxonomic CommentsNone

Other Common Name(s)Beach-tea, Silverleaf Croton
State RankS3S4
Global RankG5
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