Plant · GBIF taxon 3057700
Prairie Tea
Croton monanthogynusAlso known as One-seeded Croton, Single-fruited Croton, Prairie Spurge
Prairie Tea is a hardy summer annual recognizable by its rusty, star-shaped hairs and silvery undersides that sparkle in sunny, dry fields. It produces small, inconspicuous flowers that give way to tiny single-seeded capsules favored by ground-foraging birds. While historically dried for tea, its acrid sap contains irritating compounds typical of the spurge family.
AnnualNativeDrought-Tolerant
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
Predators
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Bobwhite
- Grasshoppers
ThreatsSevere land development and intensive agricultural tillage
HabitatsDry prairies, glades, pastures, rocky fields, and disturbed open woods
Life span1 year (summer annual)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderMalpighiales
- FamilyEuphorbiaceae
- GenusCroton
- SpeciesCroton monanthogynus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Sap may cause skin irritation; avoid heavy handling and never ingest wild plants.
- Why it is dangerous
- Acrid diterpenes in the milky sap can irritate skin and cause digestive upset if consumed.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Look for low-growing, branched stems with gray, stellate-hairy leaf undersides in sunny fields.
- What to do
- Wear gloves when clearing or handling large stands, and wash skin thoroughly after contact.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Check the leaf undersides with a hand lens to see tiny, dense star-shaped hairs.
- Wildlife Watching: Scan dry patches in late summer to spot birds foraging for dropped seeds.
- Habitat Respect: Wear gardening gloves when handling large patches to avoid skin contact with sap.
Host Plant (c) John Rosford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Seed Consumer (c) Paul Danese, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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