Croton tiglium
L., Sp. Pl. 1004. 1753; Hook.f., Fl. India 5: 393. 1887. C. himalaicus
D.G.Long in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 44: 170. 1986.
Asm.: Jaipal, Kanibhi; Beng.: Jaifal; Guj.: Neepal, Nervalam; Hindi: Jamalgota, Jayfala,
Jaipal; Kan.: Danti, Japalabeeja, Neepala, Nervalam; Kh.: Dieng-kymbat-lasam; Mal.:
Dantibijam, Neervalam, Valam; Mar.: Jamalgota, Jepal; Nep.: Guj, Lepchabis; Or.: Jaipala,
Konika; Sans.: Danti, Jaifala, Kanakaphala, Neepala; Tam.: Kattukkattai, Naganam,
Neervalam, Nigumbam, Sambari, Sayabalam, Sevalangoltai, Siduram, Tendi; Tel.: Neepalavitua,
Neepala-vema, Neeppalam, Nervalam.
Shrubs or trees, evergreen, up to 15 m tall; branchlets glabrous. Leaves ovate, elliptic, oblong or obovate, rounded, obtuse to acute at base, serrate to distantly serrulate along margins, acuminate or sometimes acute at apex, (3 -) 7 - 20 (- 28) x (1-) 2.5 – 8 (-11) cm, membranous, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent to glabrous beneath, strongly trinerved at base; lateral nerves 1 - 6 pairs above the basal; basal glands sessile or subsessile; petioles (0.5 -) 1 - 8 (- 12) cm long, glabrous. Inflorescences 5 - 18 cm long, sometimes unisexual. Male flowers: pedicels 2 - 5 mm long; sepals elliptic, oblong to ovate, 1.5 - 4 x 1 - 2.5 mm; petals oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 2 - 4 x 0.7 - 2 mm; stamens 14 - 20 (- 25), 3 - 4 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 2 - 8 mm long; sepals oblong, triangular or lanceolate, 2 - 4.5 x 0.7 - 3 mm; petals 0 - 5, linear to filiform, 0.5 - 1.5 mm long; ovary obovoid or oblong, 2.5 - 4 x 2 - 3.5 mm, tomentose; styles 3.5 - 7 mm long, free, bifid. Capsules obovoid to oblong, 3 (or 4) lobed, 1.6 - 2.5 x 1.3 - 2 cm, subglabrous.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.
Distrib. India: Evergreen or mixed forests or scrubs ascending to 2000 m altitude, often widely cultivated as hedge plant and for medicinal purposes. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and throughout Malesia.
Uses. Popularly known as Croton oil, the oil from seeds is a very drastic purgative and used externally in rheumatism and dermatitis. The twig is said to be diaphoretic in small doses and used for clearing teeth and for curing toothache. An alcoholic extract of the seeds showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Being unsafe to use, croton oil has now been removed from various pharmacopoeias.
Shrubs or trees, evergreen, up to 15 m tall; branchlets glabrous. Leaves ovate, elliptic, oblong or obovate, rounded, obtuse to acute at base, serrate to distantly serrulate along margins, acuminate or sometimes acute at apex, (3 -) 7 - 20 (- 28) x (1-) 2.5 – 8 (-11) cm, membranous, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent to glabrous beneath, strongly trinerved at base; lateral nerves 1 - 6 pairs above the basal; basal glands sessile or subsessile; petioles (0.5 -) 1 - 8 (- 12) cm long, glabrous. Inflorescences 5 - 18 cm long, sometimes unisexual. Male flowers: pedicels 2 - 5 mm long; sepals elliptic, oblong to ovate, 1.5 - 4 x 1 - 2.5 mm; petals oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 2 - 4 x 0.7 - 2 mm; stamens 14 - 20 (- 25), 3 - 4 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 2 - 8 mm long; sepals oblong, triangular or lanceolate, 2 - 4.5 x 0.7 - 3 mm; petals 0 - 5, linear to filiform, 0.5 - 1.5 mm long; ovary obovoid or oblong, 2.5 - 4 x 2 - 3.5 mm, tomentose; styles 3.5 - 7 mm long, free, bifid. Capsules obovoid to oblong, 3 (or 4) lobed, 1.6 - 2.5 x 1.3 - 2 cm, subglabrous.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.
Distrib. India: Evergreen or mixed forests or scrubs ascending to 2000 m altitude, often widely cultivated as hedge plant and for medicinal purposes. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and throughout Malesia.
Uses. Popularly known as Croton oil, the oil from seeds is a very drastic purgative and used externally in rheumatism and dermatitis. The twig is said to be diaphoretic in small doses and used for clearing teeth and for curing toothache. An alcoholic extract of the seeds showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Being unsafe to use, croton oil has now been removed from various pharmacopoeias.
