Croton caudatus
Geiseler, Croton. Monogr. 73. 1807; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 388. 1887
(incl. several varieties). C. caudatus var. obovoideus N.P.Balakr. & Chakrab. in Bull. Bot. Surv.
India 25: 190. 1983 (publ. 1985).
Asm.: Chahe-lewa, Lota-mahudi; Beng.: Nan-bhantur; Garo: Dumi-shak; Kh.: Sohlam-
brang; Lep.: Tak-chabrik, Talikkorik; Lush.: Mataun; Mal.: Umithini-kodi; Mikir:
Kumkum-arong; Nep.: Halonge, Khali, Superai; Or.: Phalan-cokriti, Sanaushonta, Wusta.
Scandent (often bushy) or straggling shrubs or woody climbers; all parts coarsely tomentellous or scattered scabrid-pubescent (on leaves and petioles), hispid or hirsute from central rays. Leaves narrowly to broadly ovate, cordate, elliptic to oblong or orbicular, cordate or sometimes truncate or rounded at base, coarsely dentate-serrate to subserrulate along margins, acuminate to apiculate, at apex, 3 - 25 x 2 - 18 cm, membranous to thinly coriaceous, strongly trinerved at base; lateral basal nerves 2 - 6 pairs; basal glands stipitate; petioles 0.5 - 7 cm long; stipules lacerate with glandular tips, 4 - 15 mm long. Inflorescences 8 - 35 cm long, sometimes unisexual; bracts often fringed with stipitate glands. Male flowers: pedicels 3 - 9 (- 16) mm long; sepals 5 (or 6), ovate, oblong to elliptic, 2 - 4.5 x 1 - 3.5 mm; petals 5 (or 6), narrowly oblongelliptic, 2 - 4 x 1 - 3 mm; stamens 18 - 40, 3.5 - 6 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 1 - 5 mm long; sepals 5, oblong, elliptic to ovate, 2 - 6 x 1 - 4 mm, often fringed with subsessile glands; petals 0 - 5, filiform, 0.5 - 2.5 mm long; ovary globose, 2 - 4 x 2 - 4 mm, densely hirsute or hispid; styles 5 - 13 mm long, free, bifid (rarely quadrifid) almost to base. Capsules globose, oblong or obovoid, bluntly 3 or 6-angled, 1.5 - 3 x 1.5 - 2.5 cm, often muricate or verruculose, scattered pubescent; seeds scattered pubescent.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.
Distrib. India: Evergreen forests, mixed forests or deciduous forests, often in scrubs and thickets, up to 1500 m altitude. West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Orissa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, S. China, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines, Celebes and Lesser Sunda Islands.
Uses. The branches serve as ropes. The leaves are used as poultice to sprains. The root is a purgative. The young shoots are used to cure cholera and ground with leaves of Caesalpinia sappan for use in treatment of liver diseases.
Scandent (often bushy) or straggling shrubs or woody climbers; all parts coarsely tomentellous or scattered scabrid-pubescent (on leaves and petioles), hispid or hirsute from central rays. Leaves narrowly to broadly ovate, cordate, elliptic to oblong or orbicular, cordate or sometimes truncate or rounded at base, coarsely dentate-serrate to subserrulate along margins, acuminate to apiculate, at apex, 3 - 25 x 2 - 18 cm, membranous to thinly coriaceous, strongly trinerved at base; lateral basal nerves 2 - 6 pairs; basal glands stipitate; petioles 0.5 - 7 cm long; stipules lacerate with glandular tips, 4 - 15 mm long. Inflorescences 8 - 35 cm long, sometimes unisexual; bracts often fringed with stipitate glands. Male flowers: pedicels 3 - 9 (- 16) mm long; sepals 5 (or 6), ovate, oblong to elliptic, 2 - 4.5 x 1 - 3.5 mm; petals 5 (or 6), narrowly oblongelliptic, 2 - 4 x 1 - 3 mm; stamens 18 - 40, 3.5 - 6 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 1 - 5 mm long; sepals 5, oblong, elliptic to ovate, 2 - 6 x 1 - 4 mm, often fringed with subsessile glands; petals 0 - 5, filiform, 0.5 - 2.5 mm long; ovary globose, 2 - 4 x 2 - 4 mm, densely hirsute or hispid; styles 5 - 13 mm long, free, bifid (rarely quadrifid) almost to base. Capsules globose, oblong or obovoid, bluntly 3 or 6-angled, 1.5 - 3 x 1.5 - 2.5 cm, often muricate or verruculose, scattered pubescent; seeds scattered pubescent.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.
Distrib. India: Evergreen forests, mixed forests or deciduous forests, often in scrubs and thickets, up to 1500 m altitude. West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Orissa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, S. China, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines, Celebes and Lesser Sunda Islands.
Uses. The branches serve as ropes. The leaves are used as poultice to sprains. The root is a purgative. The young shoots are used to cure cholera and ground with leaves of Caesalpinia sappan for use in treatment of liver diseases.
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