Croton elegans

Endemic to Ecuador, this perennial shrub grows in dry inter-Andean valleys, disturbed ground, and along roadsides. In Ecuador, it occurs at about 4,900 to 11,500 feet. Its alternate leaves are rounded, with pale, hairy undersides; older leaves can turn reddish before falling. Small male and female flowers share elongated clusters. The fruits divide into three seed-bearing sections. It can be locally abundant and is part of the shrubby vegetation of dry Andean slopes. Photographed in Ecuador.