Woolly croton

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Woolly croton pistillate flowers

Woolly croton inflorescence and leaves

Woolly croton

Woolly croton pistillate flower

Woolly croton

Woolly croton pistillate flowers

Woolly croton

Woolly croton

Woolly croton

Woolly croton

Woolly croton

Woolly croton staminate flower

Morphology

Stem

Erect, usually single, often branching above, densely covered with star-shaped hairs.

Leaves

Alternate, simple, stalked, narrowly ovate to lance-elliptic, 1 to 4 inches long, 1/4 to 3/4 inch wide, densely woolly-hairy; bases often rounded; margins entire; tips usually blunt.

Inflorescence

Compact clusters, 1/2 to 1.25 inches long, fuzzy with brownish or purplish hairs, terminal.

Flower

Male and female flowers on same plant, somewhat inconspicuous; staminate flowers with 5 sepals, 5 petals, stamens 10-14; pistillate flowers with calyces deeply 6- to 9-lobed, lobes oblong to linear; petals absent; styles 3, forked 2-3 times, stigmas 12-24.

Fruit

Capsules, nearly spherical, woolly, usually 3-seeded.

Ecology

Habitat

Dry prairies, overgrazed pastures, rocky hills, open woodlands, and roadsides, most abundant in sandy or limestone soils.

Distribution

Principally east 1/2 and southwest 1/4 of Kansas.

Practical Information

Toxicity

Woolly croton is toxic to livestock; it rarely is consumed due to its bitter taste.

Uses

The seeds are consumed by wild turkeys.