Croton sublyratus
Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal. Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 42(2): 243. 1873 &
Forest Fl. Burma 2: 374. 1877; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 390. 1887.
Beng. (And.): Putri.
Shrubs or trees, deciduous, up to 10 m tall; branchlets glabrous. Leaves lyrate, obovate, elliptic-obovate to oblanceolate, cuneate or subcuneate at base and narrowly cordate at extreme base, shallowly serrate to subentire along margins, caudate-acuminate or sometimes obtuse to rounded at apex, 5 - 24 x (1.5 -) 3 - 7 (- 9) cm, membranous to firmly chartaceous, glabrous, penninerved; lateral nerves 6 - 13 pairs; basal glands shortly stipitate or subsessile; petioles 0.5 - 7 mm long, sparsely hispid. Inflorescences (6 -) 10 - 22 cm long; bracts lanceolate or triangular to subulate, 0.8 - 3 mm long. Male flowers: pedicels 3 - 6 mm long; sepals ovate, oblong to elliptic, 2 - 3.5 x 1 - 2.5 mm, tomentose outside; petals obovate or oblong, 2 - 3 x 1 - 2 mm; stamens 11 (- 20), 3 - 4 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 2.5 - 6 (- 9) mm long; sepals oblong, elliptic to obovate, 3 - 5.5 x 1.5 - 3 mm, tomentose outside; petals obsolete; ovary strongly 3 (or 4)-lobed, 2 - 3 x 2.5 - 3 mm, tomentose; styles 3 - 4 mm long, bifid. Capsules deeply 3 (or 4)-lobed, intruded at apex, 5.5 - 7.5 x 7 - 8 mm, thinly pubescent.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.
Distrib. India: Coastal and inland evergreen forests or scrub jungles, often along stream sides, on clayey soil. Andaman & Nicobar Is.
Myanmar.
Uses. Pounded bark applied externally as a remedy for body pain in Andamans. Vongcharoensathit & de Eknamukul (in Pl. Medica 64: 279 - 280. 1998) report from Thailand the presence a chemical called ‘plaunotol’ in this species, which has anti-cancer properties.
Notes. The inflorescences often arise precociously from the apices of defoliated branches and the fruits become ripe when the young leaves are still unfolding.
Shrubs or trees, deciduous, up to 10 m tall; branchlets glabrous. Leaves lyrate, obovate, elliptic-obovate to oblanceolate, cuneate or subcuneate at base and narrowly cordate at extreme base, shallowly serrate to subentire along margins, caudate-acuminate or sometimes obtuse to rounded at apex, 5 - 24 x (1.5 -) 3 - 7 (- 9) cm, membranous to firmly chartaceous, glabrous, penninerved; lateral nerves 6 - 13 pairs; basal glands shortly stipitate or subsessile; petioles 0.5 - 7 mm long, sparsely hispid. Inflorescences (6 -) 10 - 22 cm long; bracts lanceolate or triangular to subulate, 0.8 - 3 mm long. Male flowers: pedicels 3 - 6 mm long; sepals ovate, oblong to elliptic, 2 - 3.5 x 1 - 2.5 mm, tomentose outside; petals obovate or oblong, 2 - 3 x 1 - 2 mm; stamens 11 (- 20), 3 - 4 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 2.5 - 6 (- 9) mm long; sepals oblong, elliptic to obovate, 3 - 5.5 x 1.5 - 3 mm, tomentose outside; petals obsolete; ovary strongly 3 (or 4)-lobed, 2 - 3 x 2.5 - 3 mm, tomentose; styles 3 - 4 mm long, bifid. Capsules deeply 3 (or 4)-lobed, intruded at apex, 5.5 - 7.5 x 7 - 8 mm, thinly pubescent.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.
Distrib. India: Coastal and inland evergreen forests or scrub jungles, often along stream sides, on clayey soil. Andaman & Nicobar Is.
Myanmar.
Uses. Pounded bark applied externally as a remedy for body pain in Andamans. Vongcharoensathit & de Eknamukul (in Pl. Medica 64: 279 - 280. 1998) report from Thailand the presence a chemical called ‘plaunotol’ in this species, which has anti-cancer properties.
Notes. The inflorescences often arise precociously from the apices of defoliated branches and the fruits become ripe when the young leaves are still unfolding.
