Croton californicus (sand croton) ( )

The silvery coloration of the stems and leaves in many dune plants is an adaptation to the excessive solar radiation in desert regions. The leaves of some plants have a dense covering of fine hairs that give them their silvery appearance as well as a velvet-like softness. Other plants have tiny plate-like overlapping silvery scales that cover the leaves. Both these leaf surface forms aid plants in reflecting excess solar energy as well as helping control water loss. An example is seen in sand croton, an undistinguished semi-woody gray shrub 2-3 feet in height. It is a common sandy soil species that grows well in stabilized desert dunes as well as in sandy soils along the coast of southern California. Often individual shrubs collect sand around their base, forming low mounds. "California Desert Plants, Philip W Rundel, Robert J Gustafson, Michael E Kauffmann."