Croton scabiosus
Bedd., Fl. Sylv. S. India t. 283B. 1872 & Forester's Man. 204. 1873;
Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 386. 1887.
Tel.: Chilla, Yerrichilla.
Trees, up to 8 m tall; all parts densely silvery or orange-brown or golden lepidote. Leaves ovate, cordate, oblong, elliptic to orbicular, cordate, rounded or subtruncate at base, crenateserrate along margins, obtuse, rounded to acute at apex, 4 - 16 x 2 - 12 cm, thinly coriaceous, strongly trinerved at base; lateral nerves above the basal 1 - 6 pairs; basal glands 2, sessile; petioles 1 - 5 cm long. Inflorescences 3 - 10 cm long; bracts ovate, subulate or linear-lanceolate, 0.5 - 3 mm long. Male flowers: pedicels 2.5 - 3.5 mm long; sepals ovate to oblong-elliptic, 1.5 - 3 x 1 - 2 mm; petals oblong-elliptic to spathulate, 2 - 3 x 0.5 - 1 mm; stamens 8 - 16, 3 - 3.5 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 2 - 2.5 mm long; sepals as in male; ovary globose or ovoid, 1 - 2 mm in diam., 3 or 4-locular; styles 3 - 5 mm long, free, bifid. Capsules subglobose, 8 - 12 mm in diam., prominently 3 or 4-lobed; seeds oblong, 6 - 10 x 4 - 7 mm.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - July (-Dec.?).
Distrib. India: Semievergreen or deciduous forests of Eastern Ghats between 300 to 1200 m altitudes. Andhra Pradesh.
Endemic.
Uses. The silvery or golden foliage is very attractive, may be cultivated as an ornamental.
Trees, up to 8 m tall; all parts densely silvery or orange-brown or golden lepidote. Leaves ovate, cordate, oblong, elliptic to orbicular, cordate, rounded or subtruncate at base, crenateserrate along margins, obtuse, rounded to acute at apex, 4 - 16 x 2 - 12 cm, thinly coriaceous, strongly trinerved at base; lateral nerves above the basal 1 - 6 pairs; basal glands 2, sessile; petioles 1 - 5 cm long. Inflorescences 3 - 10 cm long; bracts ovate, subulate or linear-lanceolate, 0.5 - 3 mm long. Male flowers: pedicels 2.5 - 3.5 mm long; sepals ovate to oblong-elliptic, 1.5 - 3 x 1 - 2 mm; petals oblong-elliptic to spathulate, 2 - 3 x 0.5 - 1 mm; stamens 8 - 16, 3 - 3.5 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 2 - 2.5 mm long; sepals as in male; ovary globose or ovoid, 1 - 2 mm in diam., 3 or 4-locular; styles 3 - 5 mm long, free, bifid. Capsules subglobose, 8 - 12 mm in diam., prominently 3 or 4-lobed; seeds oblong, 6 - 10 x 4 - 7 mm.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - July (-Dec.?).
Distrib. India: Semievergreen or deciduous forests of Eastern Ghats between 300 to 1200 m altitudes. Andhra Pradesh.
Endemic.
Uses. The silvery or golden foliage is very attractive, may be cultivated as an ornamental.
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