Croton antisyphiliticus Mart

Pereira, Amanda Da Paixão Noronha, Riina, Ricarda & Caruzo, Maria Beatriz Rossi, 2022, Croton (Euphorbiaceae) of the Brazilian state of Paraná: an annotated checklist, species distribution, and identification key, Phytotaxa 570 (3), pp. 231-274 : 235

2. Croton antisyphiliticus Mart : (in Spix & Martius 1823: 282).

Type :— BRAZIL. Sa ̃o Paulo: “in campis editis e.g. ad Ypanema, ubi Erva Mular”, January 1818, C.F.P. von Martius s.n. (holotype M 0086128 !, photo F 19474!). ( Fig. 1 , D– I)

Croton antisyphiliticus is a subshrub that can be recognized by its irregularly serrate leaves with sessile nectary glands along the leaf margin. Due to its wide geographic distribution and its occurrence in different types of habitats, the species has a great morphological variability throughout its range, especially in vegetative characteristics like leaf shape and indumentum density. The species belongs to sect. Geiseleria subsect. Ocalia ( Klotzsch 1841: 195) van Ee & Berry (2021: 136) ( Riina et al. 2021).

Distribution and habitat:— It occurs in Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil (AM, DF, GO, MG, MT, PR, SC, SP, TO) ( Sodré et al. 2019, Riina et al. 2021). Plants growing in open vegetation and ‘cerrado’, between 700 and 960 m elevation. ( Fig. 2 ).

Phenology:— Flowering from March and July to December, fruiting from September to November.

Representative specimens:— PARANÁ: Arapoti, Fazenda do Tigre , 9 September 1960, G . Hatschbach 7269 ( MBM). Jaguariaíva, estrada para acesso ao Parque Estadual do Cerrado , 24°13’18.51”S, 49°41’40.15”W, 851 m, 21 October 2016, A. P. N . Pereira, F. P . Satori & O. L. M . Silva 41 ( SP). Palmeira, Fazenda Boiada. 14 March 2013, G . Felitto & E . D. Lozano 516 ( MBM). Ponta Grossa, Buraco do Padre, 25°11’06.9”S, 49°58’22”W, 883 m, 02 November 2007, M.G. Caxambu 1739 ( CGMS, UFMT, HCF, MBM). Ventania, Fazenda Santa Inês, 14 October 2005, D .A. Estevan 876 (FUEL, HCF, HUCS).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Croton aberrans. A. Inflorescence. B. Staminate flowers. C. Pistillate flowers. C. antisyphiliticus. D. Habit. E. Stipules. F. Leaf margin, arrows point to nectary glands in the sinuses. G. Inflorescence showing pistillate flowers at the base. H. Staminate flowers. I. Pistillate flowers. C. bonplandianus. J. Inflorescence. Photos: A–I: A.P.N. Pereira. J: O.L.M. Silva.

FIGURE 2. Map showing the known geographic distributions of Croton aberrans, C. antisyphiliticus, C. bonplandianus, and C. calycireduplicatus in Paraná state.