Taxon Report

Croton wigginsii Wheeler

Wiggins' croton

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Croton wigginsii, commonly known as Wiggins' croton, is a perennial shrub in the Euphorbiaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Desert dunes, and Sonoran desert scrub (sandy), growing at elevations from 50 to 100 meters. Croton wigginsii is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Croton wigginsii Wheeler
Common Name:
 Wiggins' croton
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Element Code: PDEUP0H140
USDA Plants Symbol: CRWI2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: perennial shrub
Blooming Period: Mar-May Mar-May
Elevation: 50-100 (165-330)
General Habitats: Desert dunes, Sonoran desert scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 2B.2
Global Rank: G2G3
State Rank:
 S2
State List: CR
Fed List: None
Other Status: BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:
  • changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 12
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 1
   Fair (C) 1
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 10

Location
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Imperial (IMP)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Grays Well (3211468), Grays Well NE (3211467), Yuma East (3211465), Acolita (3311512), Amos (3311513), Araz (3211476), Bard (3211475), Cactus (3211478), Clyde (3211488), Glamis (3211581), Glamis NW (3211582), Glamis SE (3211571), Ogilby (3211477), Plaster City (3211577), Tortuga (3311523), Yuma West (3211466)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 4
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
5 42 %
ORV activity 5 41%
Other 1 8%
Development 1 8%
Non-native plant impacts 1 8%

Notes
Known in CA from only 2 occurrences. Threatened by vehicles. See Contributions from the Gray Herbarium 124:37 (1939) for original description.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 January 2025].