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(Last Modified On 3/18/2013)
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(Last Modified On 3/18/2013)
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Species
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Croton schiedeanus Schlecht.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Linnaea 19: 243, 1847.-Fig. 9(E).
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Synonym
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Croton perobtusus Lundell, Phytologia 1: 405, 1940.
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Description
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Tree ca 5-15 m high, trunk ca 1-2.5 dm thick; monoecious; indumentum lepidote. Leaves chartaceous; petioles lepidote, eglandular, ca 0.5-4 cm long; stipules densely lepidote, linear, capitate, (1-) 2-4 mm long, caducous and thus often appearing to be absent; blades elliptic to oblong, ca 7-22 cm long, 3-9 cm broad, glabrate above, lepidote beneath with scattered scales ca 0.1-0.2 mm across (the blade appearing greenish beneath, not silvery), the venation distinctly pin- nate, the major lateral veins (ca 8-12 on a side) straightish, the base obtuse to rounded, the margins entire, the apex + abruptly contracted to a ? obtuse acumen. Inflorescences axillary, racemiform, ca 2-10 cm long, bisexual or male, often fascicled in the axils; female flowers 1 or 2 at the base; male flowers many, distal; bracts subtending solitary flowers, inconspicuous, eglandular, less than 1 mm long. Stami- nate flowers with lepidote pedicels becoming ca 2.5-3.5 mm long; calyx-lobes 5, valvate, densely lepidote, shorter than the petals; receptacle villose; petals ca 1.3- 2.1 mm long, glandular-punctate, densely villose-ciliate on the margins, glabrous on the back or with 1(-2) scales; stamens (9-) 10 or 11, the filaments glabrous, ca 1.5-2.5 mm long, the anthers elliptic, 0.6-0.8 mm long. Pistillate flowers with stiff straight lepidote pedicels becoming 10-25 mm long; calyx-lobes 5, equal, tri- angular or ovate, shorter than the petals; disc annular, more or less adnate to the calyx; petals ca 1.8-2.1 mm long, similar to the male; ovary densely lepidote, scales delicately denticulate, ca 0.3-0.4 mm in diam, the styles usually 3 times bifid, ca 3-3.5 mm long, the branches slender, glabrous, spreading. Capsules not seen entire; cocci lepidote, verrucose, ca 8.5-12 mm long, the columella slender, 6.5-8.2 mm long; seeds compressed, brownish, smooth, obtusely beaked, 6.2-7(-9.5) mm long, 4.4-5 (-5.4) mm broad.
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Habit
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Tree
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Distribution
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Widespread in lowland Mesoamerican rain forests (mostly below 500 m) from Mexico (Nayarit, Vera Cruz) south mainly along the Gulf coast to Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Peru.
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Specimen
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BOCAS DEL TORO: viC of Almirante, Cooper 416 (GH, NY, US); Buena Vista Camp, Cooper 591 (F, NY); Changuinola Valley, Dunlap 497 (F, US); vic of Chiriqui Lagoon, von Wedel 1151 (GH, MO); Cricamola, Cooper 489 (F, US); Little Bocas, von Wedel 2498 (GH, MO, NY), 2513 (GH, MO, NY); Water Valley, von Wedel 1798 (GH, MO); Western River, von Wedel 2706 (GH, MO, NY). CHIRIQUI: betw Hato del Jobo & Cerro Vaca, Pittier 5421 (US); Progreso, Cooper & Slater 165 (A, NY, US), Rio Dupi, Pittier 5219 (US); vic of San Felix, Pittier 5288 (US). DARIEN: Tucuti, Chepigana, Terry & Terry 1383 (F, MO).
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Note
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Although this species, the most common Panamanian Croton with lepidote indumentum, has usually been identified as Croton glabellus L., it apparently is correctly designated as C. schiedeanus Schlecht. True C. glabellus (C. nitens Sw.), which appears to be restricted to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, is characterized by small stipules (scarcely over 0.5 mm long), hirsutulous filaments, small seeds (4.3-6.5 mm long), and short fruiting pedicels (1.5-9 mm). In contrast, the Panamanian plants discussed here have usually larger stipules, glabrous filaments, larger seeds, and longer fruiting pedicels; furthermore, they also differ in less quantifiable characteristics such as thinner, larger leaves and more slender inflores- cence axes. There can be little doubt that C. glabellus and C. schiedeanus are rather closely related, but there seems to be no reason not to treat them as distinct species.
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