Cephalocroton mollis (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Medicinal
Forage / feed

Cephalocroton mollis Klotzsch

Protologue: Peters, Naturw. Reise Mossambique Vol. 6, Botanik 1: 99, t. 17 (1861).

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Origin and geographic distribution

Cephalocroton mollis occurs from Tanzania south throughout southern Africa, including eastern South Africa.

Uses

In Namibia the Heikum Bushmen use the dried powdered root in food as criminal poison, causing bloody diarrhoea. The aerial parts are browsed by cattle.

Description

• Monoecious, rarely dioecious, perennial herb or shrub up to 2(–3.5) m tall; rootstock woody; bark pale grey; all parts covered with stellate hairs, with or without long glandular hairs, later almost glabrous.
• Leaves alternate, simple; stipules subulate-filiform, 1–4 mm long; petiole 1–7 mm long; blade ovate-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 1–10.5 cm × 0.5–5 cm, base rounded or truncate, apex obtuse to acute, margins entire to sinuate, leathery.
• Inflorescence a terminal raceme, with male flowers in a dense terminal globose cluster and 1–4 female flowers at base of peduncle; peduncle 1–10 cm long; bracts minute.
• Flowers unisexual, sweetly scented; pedicel 3–4(–7) mm long; petals absent; male flowers with 4 glabrous, ovate to elliptical-ovate sepals c. 2 mm long, pale yellowish green, stamens 6–8, free, 5–6 mm long; female flowers with 6 sepals, pinnately lobed, c. 4 mm × 2 mm, enlarging in fruit, lobes linear, with side lobes, stellately hairy, green, disk annular, ovary superior, c. 1.5 mm in diameter, densely hairy, 3-celled, styles 3, fused at base, 4–8 mm long, stigma multifid, orange-yellow.
• Fruit a 3-lobed capsule c. 1 cm × 1.5 cm, hairy, 3-seeded.
• Seeds ovoid, 6–8 mm long, smooth, pale to pinkish brown, slightly mottled, dull.

Other botanical information

Cephalocroton comprises 3–4 species in tropical and southern Africa. It is closely related to Adenochlaena (1 species from Madagascar and the Comoros and 1 from Sri Lanka) and Cephalocrotonopsis (1 species from Socotra), both formerly included in Cephalocroton.

Ecology

Cephalocroton mollis occurs on clayey soils (including black cotton soil) but usually on sandy soils in dried-out depressions and seasonal swamps, in open grassland and mixed open bushland, at 500–1500 m altitude.

Genetic resources

Cephalocroton mollis is relatively common in southern Africa and therefore not likely to be threatened by genetic erosion.

Prospects

Research on the phytochemistry of Cephalocroton mollis is warranted in the light of the uses as a plant poison and of browse for cattle.

Major references

• Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A., 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (with Pandaceae). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 1620 pp.

• Radcliffe-Smith, A., 1973. An account of the genus Cephalocroton Hochst. (Euphorbiaceae). Kew Bulletin 28(1): 123–132.

• von Koenen, E., 2001. Medicinal, poisonous and edible plants in Namibia. Klaus Hess Verlag, Göttingen, Germany. 336 pp.

Other references

• Radcliffe-Smith, A., 1987. Euphorbiaceae (part 1). In: Polhill, R.M. (Editor). Flora of Tropical East Africa. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 407 pp.

• Radcliffe-Smith, A., 1996. Euphorbiaceae, subfamilies Phyllantoideae, Oldfieldioideae, Acalyphoideae, Crotonoideae and Euphorbioideae, tribe Hippomaneae. In: Pope, G.V. (Editor). Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 9, part 4. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. pp. 1–337.

Author(s)

• G.H. Schmelzer, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Correct citation of this article

Schmelzer, G.H., 2007. Cephalocroton mollis Klotzsch. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 6 March 2025.

• See the Prota4U database.