Croton setiger

Croton setiger Hook.
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)

Eremocarpus setigerus (Hook.) Benth.

Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)

turkey mullein, doveweed

Primary Disseminule Type

seed

Description (diagnostics are in brown)

Fruit a single-seeded, one-chambered capsule, oblong, 3–5(6) mm long, hairy.

Seed oblong in outline, ± trigonous (back rounded, front 2-sided), slightly compressed, 3–5(6) mm long x 2–2.5(4) mm wide x 1.5–2.5 mm thick. Surface shiny, smooth, glabrous, light to dark gray with or without dark brown or black mottling, or gray and black-striped. Caruncle absent. A prominent seam (raphe) on the ventral side connects the hilum to the obliquely-angled, flattened chalazal area.

Hilum lighter than testa, ± round.

Similar Species

Similar Species Comparison Chart

Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)

AUQP, AUWP, NZBORIC, NZBPI

Seeds of two types—the
unmottled gray type (upper
left corner) and the mottled type.
Photo: J. O'Brien, © 2007,
The Regents of the University
of California

Three seeds lying on their rounded backs, exposing the hilum and raphe, and three seeds on one
of the two ventral faces.

Close-up of hilum and raphe.

Close-up of the chalazal
end (to the left) of the seed.

Cross-section of seed.