Croton lawianus Nimmo in J.Graham, Cat. Pl. Bombay 251. 1839; Dalzell & A.Gibson, Bombay Fl. 232. 1861; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 394. 1887.

Trees; young shoots coarsely ochraceous tomentose; branchlets glabrous. Leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, rounded at base, entire, caudate-acuminate or occasionally acute at apex, 4.5 - 14 x 2.5 - 6 cm, membranous to chartaceous, glabrous, strongly trinerved at base; lateral nerves 2 - 4 pairs; basal glands 2 - 4, sessile; petioles 4 - 8 mm long, glabrous; stipules not seen. Inflorescences ca 5 cm or more long; bracts subflabelliform and 2 - 6 mm long in female, subulate and 0.8 - 1 mm long in male. Male flowers: pedicels sparsely hirsute; sepals broadly ovate, elliptic or suborbicular; petals oblong; stamens 15 - 20; anthers oblong. Female flowers: pedicels 2 - 2.5 mm long; sepals elliptic, oblong to ovate, 4 - 7 x 3 - 4.5 mm, accrescent; petals obsolete; ovary broadly oblong, 2 - 2.5 x ca 2 mm, subglabrous; styles 5 - 6.5 mm long, bifid or quadrifid almost to base. Capsules broadly oblong-ellipsoid, prominently 3-lobed, 13 - 17 x 11 - 15 mm, glabrous, brownish; fruiting pedicels 1 - 1.5 cm long.

Fl. & Fr. Not known.

Distrib. India: Karnataka [Chickmagalur Dist., Bababudan Hills, Law s. n. (K); ibid. Dalzell s. n. (CAL acc. no. 411077)].

Endemic and extremely rare, no collection except the above types seen.

Notes. Croton lawianus Nimmo is a valid publication.

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