Croton capitatus Michx.

Hogwort; Woolly Croton

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Doveweed is a native annual member of the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Doveweed occurs on glades, in prairies, in pine forests, on sandhills, and on disturbed sites such as over grazed pastures, roadsides, and in clear cuts. It is an annual with a tap root. Stems grow from 6 inches to over 3 feet in height. The stems and all other parts of the plant are pubescent with rusty or whitish stellate (star shaped) hairs. The stems are often freely branched above mid-stem. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, lanceolate in outline, and entire. The leaves are densely pubescent with stellate hairs. Flowers are produced in a short condensed raceme at the apex of the stems. Female flowers are produced below the male flowers. Female flowers have 6-9 calyx lobes and no petals. Male flowers have 5 very small white petals and 10-15 anthers. The fruit is an erect three-locular capsule with three seed. Doveweed seed are consumed by many bird species such as Northern Bobwhite Quail and Mourning Dove. It is toxic if consumed by cattle, but they generally avoid it if other food is available. Doveweed is the larval food for the Goatweed Leafwing Butterfly (Anaea andria).--A. Diamond

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Native

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