Croton (plant)

For the small pieces of toasted bread, see crouton.

Croton
Croton californicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily:	Crotonoideae
Tribe:	Crotoneae
Genus:	Croton L.
Selected species
Croton alabamensis Croton barahonensis Croton californicus (California croton) Croton capitatus (hogwort) Croton ciliatoglandulifer Croton eluteria Croton gratissimus Croton guatemalensis Croton hancei (Hong Kong croton) Croton laevigatus Croton lawianus Croton schiedeanus Croton setigerus (Turkey mullein) Croton subaemulans Croton sylvaticus Croton tiglium Croton triacros Croton verreauxii Croton wigginsii (Wiggins' croton)

Croton is an extensive flowering plant genus in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, established by Carl Linnaeus in 1737. The plants of this genus were described and introduced to Europeans by Georg Eberhard Rumphius. The common names for this genus are rushfoil and croton, but the latter also refers to Codiaeum variegatum. The generic name comes from the Greek κροτον (kroton), which means "tick" and refers to the shape of the seeds of certain species.^[1]

Characteristics

The best known member of this genus is probably Croton tiglium, commonly called croton, a tree or shrub native to Southeast Asia. It was first mentioned in European literature by Cristóbal Acosta in 1578 as lignum pavanae. Croton oil, used in herbal medicine as a violent purgative, is extracted from its seeds. Nowadays, it is considered unsafe and it is no longer listed in the pharmacopeias of many countries.

Uses

Traditional uses

Croton oil has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat severe constipation since the seed of the plant can cause diarrhoea. It is a source of the organic compound phorbol and its tumor-promoting esters. In the Amazon the red latex from the species Croton lechleri, known as Sangre de Grado (Dragon's blood), is used as a "liquid bandage", as well as for other medicinal purposes, by native peoples^[2]

Food uses

Cascarilla (C. eluteria) bark is used to flavour the liqueurs Campari and Vermouth.^[3]

Biofuel uses

It has recently been shown in Kenya that Croton nuts, such as those from C. megalocarpus,^[4] are a more economical source of biofuel than Jatropha. In Kenya, Jatropha requires as much as 20,000 litres of water to make a litre of biofuel, while Croton trees grow wild and yield about .35 litres of oil per kilo of nuts. Croton trees are planted as a windbreak in Kenya and its use as a source of biofuel may benefit rural economies there. As arable land is under population pressure, people have been cutting down the windbreaks to expand farmland. This new use may save the windbreaks which should help fight desertification.

Ecology

Croton species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Schinia citrinellus, which feeds exclusively on the plant.

Distribution

The genus is pantropical, with some species extending into temperate areas.^[5]

Croton tiglium

Synonyms

This genus is also known under many other names:

• Agelandra Engl. & Pax
• Aldinia Raf.
• Angelandra Endl.
• Anisepta Raf.
• Anisophyllum Boivin ex Baill.
• Argyra Noronha ex Baill.
• Argyrodendron (Endl.) Klotzsch (non. F. Muell.)
• Astraea Klotzsch
• Astrogyne Benth.
• Aubertia Chapel. ex Baill.
• Banalia Raf.
• Barhamia Klotzsch
• Brachystachys Klotzsch
• Calypteriopetalon Hassk.
• Cascarilla Adans.
• Centrandra H.Karst.
• Cieca Adans.
• Cleodora Klotzsch
• Codonocalyx Klotzsch ex Baill.
• Comatocroton H.Karst.
• Crotonanthus Klotzsch ex Schltdl.
• Crotonopsis Michx.
• Cyclostigma Klotzsch
• Decarinium Raf.
• Drepadenium Raf.
• Eluteria Steud.
• Engelmannia Klotzsch
• Eremocarpus Benth.
• Eutrophia Klotzsch
• Friesia Spreng.
• Furcaria Boivin ex Baill.
• Geiseleria Klotzsch
• Gynamblosis Torr.
• Halecus Raf.
• Hendecandras Eschsch.
• Heptallon Raf.
• Heterochlamys Turcz.
• Heterocroton S.Moore
• Julocroton Mart.
• Klotzschiphytum Baill.
• Kurkas Raf.
• Lasiogyne Klotzsch
• Leptemon Raf.
• Leucadenia Klotzsch ex Baill.
• Luntia Neck. ex Raf.
• Macrocroton Klotzsch
• Medea Klotzsch
• Merleta Raf.
• Monguia Chapel. ex Baill.
• Myriogomphus Didr.
• Ocalia Klotzsch
• Oxydectes Kuntze
• Palanostigma Mart. ex Klotzsch
• Penteca Raf.
• Pilinophyton Klotzsch
• Piscaria Piper
• Pleopadium Raf.
• Podostachys Klotzsch
• Saipania Hosok.
• Schradera Willd.
• Semilta Raf.
• Tiglium Klotzsch
• Timandra Klotzsch
• Tridesmis Lour.
• Triplandra Raf.
• Vandera Raf.

Formerly placed here

Acalypha chamaedrifolia (Lam.) Müll.Arg. (as C. chamaedrifolius Lam.) Astraea lobata (L.) Klotzsch (as C. lobatus L.) Caperonia palustris (L.) A.St.-Hil. (as C. palustris L.) Chrozophora plicata (Vahl) A.Juss. ex Spreng. (as C. plicatus Vahl) Claoxylon indicum (Reinw. ex Blume) Hassk. (as C. polot Burm.f.) Codiaeum variegatum (L.) A.Juss. (as C. variegatus L.) Homalanthus nutans (G.Forst.) Guill. (as C. nutans G.Forst.)

Macaranga grandifolia (Blanco) Merr. (as C. grandifolius Blanco) Mallotus japonicus (L.f.) Müll.Arg. (as C. japonicus L.f.) Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Müll.Arg. (as C. philippensis Lam.) Mallotus repandus (Rottler ex Willd.) Müll.Arg. (as C. repandus Rottler ex Willd.) Savia sessiliflora (Sw.) Willd. (as C. sessiliflorus Sw.) Terminalia bentzoe (L.) L.f. (as C. bentzoe L.) Triadica sebifera (L.) Small (as C. sebifer L.)[6]

See also

• List of Croton species
• Taxonomy of Croton

References

1. ^ Gledhill, D. (2008). The Names of Plants (4 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 126. ISBN 9780521866453. http://books.google.com/books?id=NJ6PyhVuecwC. 
2. ^ Raintree Nutrition, Database Entry: Sangre de Grado
3. ^ http://www.yourdictionary.com/cascarilla
4. ^ Milich, Lenard. "Environmental Comparisons of Croton Megalocarpus vs. Other Tropical Feedstocks". Africa Biofuel. http://www.africabiofuel.com/files/B%29%20feedstocks.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-11. 
5. ^ Croton L., USDA PLANTS
6. ^ "GRIN Species Records of Croton". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?3106. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 

External links

• Croton Research Network
• A Modern Herbal--Croton