Croton glandulosus L. var. lindheimeri Muell.–Arg, Lindheimer’s tropic croton. Annual, taprooted, 1–stemmed at base, not rosetted, with an ascending to spreading branch on principal axis from each node, 10—22 cm tall; monoecious; shoots with only cauline leaves, densely stellate–pubescent with arms of hair unequal.
Stems cylindric, to 2.5 mm diameter, tough, green aging with light brown periderm on lower plant, having stellate hairs persistent on periderm.
Leaves helically alternate, simple, petiolate, with stipules; stipules 2, attached to stem at node, fingerlike, 1—1.5 mm long, with several stellate hairs and having some erect, 1–armed hairs at tip; petiole channeled, < 8—20 mm long, < blade, projecting from the edges at top of petiole and blade junction with a pair of glands (extrafloral nectaries), the nectaries cuplike and ± 0.6 mm across, in nature with a drop of exudate; blade oblong–narrowly ovate to ovate, 12—45 × 10—22 mm, tapered at base, serrate on margins, toothed to subtruncate at tip, pinnately veind with 3 veins at base and principal veins raised on lower surface, upper surface having hairs with fewer arms (some 1–armed), lower surface stellate–hairy throughout, arms subequal but with erect central arm.
Inflorescence raceme, with 1—3 pistillate flowers at base and < 10 staminate flowers above, bracteate, stellate–pubescent; raceme green, near base with 2 stalked, orangish yellow glands 0.35—0.4 mm long; bractlet subtending pedicel of staminate flowers club–shaped in outline, 0.5—0.7 mm long, < pedicel, ± green.
Staminate flower radial, ca. 3 mm across; calyx 5–lobed; tube dishlike, 0.5 mm long, white; lobes ovate, ± 1.3 × 0.8 mm, green with white margins, having scattered stellate hairs on lower (outer) surface; petals 5, horizontally, widely spreading, obovate, 1.5 × 0.6 mm, white, thin, long–ciliate to midpoint, gland–dotted; nectary glands 5, alternate with petals, ± columnar with constriction near top, 0.4 mm long, white; stamens 10 in 2 whorls, free, opposite petals; filaments of outer whorl ± appressed of petals, of inner whorl ascending, 1.9—2.1 mm long, white; anthers dorsifixed, dithecal, ca. 0.5 mm long, white, longitudinally dehiscent; pollen white; pistil absent, flower center densely soft–hairy.
Pistillate flower radial, ca. 1.5 mm across; calyx 4—5–lobed, fused only at base, at anthesis lobes unequal, oblong–obovate, 1—1.7 mm long, folded upward from midvein, lower (outer) surface stellate–hairy; petals absent; stamens absent; pistil 1, densely stellate–hairy; ovary superior, 3–lobed, ca. 1 × 1 mm, green; styles 3, 2–forked below midpoint, 1.5 mm long, vanilla–colored to fork, the branches papillate and with some hairs on back.
Fruit schizocarpic capsule, 3–seeded, 6–valved, slightly 3–lobed, 4.5 × 4 mm + persistent styles, depressed on top in center, with scattered stellate hairs; calyx tube 1 mm long and whitish, calyx lobes unequal, ± spatulate, 5.3—7.2 mm long, folded upward from midvein.
Seed with fleshy appendage (caruncle), ± ovoid and 3–sided, 4 × 2.5 × 2 mm, glossy mottled brown, pale brown, and black, smooth, rounded on back, with straight angle in front view; caruncle covering hilum end, 1 × 2 mm, white.
A. C. Gibson