Species Detail Forb

Flowers and fruit		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Croton texensis - Texas croton Other Common Names: doveweed, goatweed, skunkweed. Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub Family: Euphorbiaceae
Flowers and fruit


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Flowers Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Leaf Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Plant Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)

Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native Life Cycle: Annual
General Desc: Plant is dioecious, unbranched at the base, much branched at the crown. Main stem is commonly brown or yellow; the tops of the leaves are green. Plant can be weedy or invasive. It is a larval host and/or nectar source for the Goatweed Leafwing butterfly.
Identification notes: Yellowish-green herbage distinguishes this from other Croton sp. which have more gray-green herbage and are rare in Yavapai county.
Height: 1 to 4 feet

Habitat

Habitat Description: Limestone soils, sandy loam soils and loose sands. Generally associated with soil disturbance, lack of soil cover or overgrazing.
Plant Communities: Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, Disturbed Areas
Elevation: 1500 - 5000 feet

Flower Characteristics

Color: White Shape: Regular in elongated clusters Tubular: N Flowering Period: Jun - Nov
Description: The flowers are arranged in clusters on spikes at the ends of the stems.

Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Yellowish-green Leaf Type: Simple Leaf Shape: Round or oval Leaf Margin: Smooth Leaf Attachment: Alternate Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: No Spines: N
Leaf Description: Yellowish-green leaves may be lighter on top and darker beneath. Leaves have an aroma when crushed. The main stem is commonly brown or yellow. Leaf shape varies.

Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Color: Green to gray
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: The fruit is a capsule divided into 3 segments supporting 3 individual seeds.
Seed Notes: Seeds are very valuable to dove, quail and other seed-eating birds but have low value for livestock grazing.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer