Texabama croton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Croton alabamensis var. texensis |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Croton |
| Species: | |
| Varietas: |
C. a. var. texensis
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| Trinomial name | |
| Croton alabamensis var. texensis Ginzbarg
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The Croton alabamensis var. texensis is a special type of plant. It is a variety of the Croton alabamensis plant. This plant grows only in the state of Texas in the United States. People often call it the Texabama croton.
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About the Texabama Croton
The Texabama croton is a shrub that grows many stems. It usually reaches less than 3 meters (about 10 feet) tall when fully grown. Its stems are covered in thin, grey bark.
The plant has tiny, scale-like hairs called scales. Some scales are silver, and some are copper-colored. New stems, leaf undersides, and flowers often have a shiny copper look because of these scales.
This plant can also make copies of itself without seeds. It does this by layering. This means its branches can touch the ground and grow new roots. Over time, it can form large groups of plants that are all genetically the same. These are called clonal colonies. The plant can also grow back strongly after a fire.
Leaves
The leaves of the Texabama croton are simple and grow in a spiral pattern. They are found at the ends of the stems. Each leaf is about 3.8 to 9 cm (1.5 to 3.5 inches) long. They are also 1.5 to 4 cm (0.6 to 1.6 inches) wide.
The leaves are oval or ellipse-shaped with smooth edges. The top of the leaves is dark green with a few silver scales. The underside of the leaves is completely covered in scales, mostly silver ones. You can also see the veins clearly on the underside.
Older leaves turn orange in the fall. However, the plant is called semi-evergreen. This means it keeps its leaves during mild winters.
Flowers
The flowers grow in clusters at the end of the stems. These clusters are called racemes. Each cluster has 6 to 14 small flowers. These flowers grow from buds made the year before.
Each raceme usually has 1 to 6 female flowers near the bottom. It also has 4 to 12 male flowers above them. Sometimes, all the flowers on a plant might be the same sex. Both male and female flowers have five petals and five sepals. The outside of these parts is scaly.
Male flowers have yellowish petals and 14 to 18 stamens. Stamens are the parts that make pollen. Female flowers have three curved branches above a small, scaly part called the ovary. The ovary is where the seeds will grow.
Insects like beetles and bees help pollinate the flowers. This means they carry pollen from male to female flowers. The Texabama croton usually flowers from late February to early April.
Fruit and Seeds
The fruit of the Texabama croton is a light brown, three-part capsule. It is about 0.6 to 0.8 cm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long. The fruit grows on a small stalk.
The seeds inside are dark brown or almost black. They have white spots and streaks. Each seed has a yellow part called a caruncle. This caruncle is important for seed spreading. The seeds burst out of the capsule when they are ready. This happens between May and June.
Where the Texabama Croton Lives
The Texabama croton only grows in a small area of eastern Edwards Plateau in Texas. It is found in Travis, Bell, and Coryell counties.
Within this small area, it grows in specific spots. It is very common in these few places but not found anywhere else. This plant is also very far from other types of C. alabamensis plants, over 1000 km (620 miles) away!
The Texabama croton likes to live in deep soils inside forested, moist canyons. It also grows on higher, wooded hills called oak mottes. It usually grows at elevations of 200 to 400 meters (650 to 1300 feet).
Canyon Habitat
You can find these plants in moist canyons. Some of these are in the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge and Fort Hood's Owl Creek Mountains. Here, it often grows under taller trees. It forms colonies in the shade of trees like Texas red oak and Texas ash.
It usually grows in stony clay soils that are a bit alkaline. These soils are found above Cretaceous limestone. Plants that grow in full shade tend to live longer. They also flower less often but grow closer together. Sometimes, single plants grow in sunny areas at the edge of forests. These plants are usually smaller and do not flower as much.
Upland Habitat
The Texabama croton also likes to grow on higher ground near Lake Travis. Here, it grows under Texas live oak trees. It prefers deep, loose soils in these areas.
Ecology and Life Cycle
Beetles have been seen eating the pollen from the Texabama croton flowers. Goatweed butterfly caterpillars also eat the leaves of the plant. Many types of adult butterflies, like the great purple hairstreak, visit the flowers. They help spread pollen as they feed.
Evolutionary History
Scientists believe the Texabama croton separated from other types of C. alabamensis a long time ago. This happened during the Quaternary period. They think this happened because groups of the plant became separated by large distances. Over time, they changed and became different varieties.
Conservation Efforts
The Texabama croton is considered an "imperiled variety" by NatureServe. This means it is at risk of disappearing. The biggest threat to it is new buildings and towns being built nearby.
The Texabama croton is one of 27 special plants protected by the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan. This plan helps protect important areas where the plant grows. Protected groups of the plant are found in places like Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. They are also in Pace Bend Park and Fort Hood. Fort Hood alone has about 20,000 of these plants.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has collected seeds from the plant. These seeds are stored in a special lab in Colorado. This helps make sure the plant's genes are saved for the future.
History of Discovery
The Texabama croton was first found in April 1989. Carol Beardmore and Rex Wahl discovered it at Fort Hood in Coryell County. Two months later, Chuck Sexton found more plants about 70 km (43 miles) south. He found them in the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.
In 1992, a botanist named Steve Ginzbarg officially described it. He said it was a unique variety of C. alabamensis.
Growing Texabama Croton
People like to grow the Texabama croton as an ornamental plant. It has attractive leaves that smell a bit spicy. It can form light, airy groups of plants if grown in the shade. If it is grown in full sun and watered, it will become a dense shrub.
New plants can be grown from seeds or from cuttings. Cuttings are pieces of the plant that are encouraged to grow roots. You can see cultivated Texabama croton plants at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Images for kids
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Leaf undersides and fall foliage
