Croton argyratus (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Croton argyratus Blume

Protologue: Bijdr. fl. Ned. Ind.: 602 (1825).

• Silver croton (En).
• Brunei: kemarik
• Indonesia: parengpeng (Sundanese), tapen kebo (Javanese), leprak (Madurese)
• Malaysia: cheret budak, chenderai, semengkeh (Peninsular)
• Philippines: tubang puti (Pilipino).

India (Andaman Islands), peninsular Thailand and throughout Malesia (except for New Guinea).

A decoction of the leaves is a medicine for diarrhoea, ulcers and fever, and is also given after childbirth, and used for medicinal baths. A herbal tea is sometimes made from an infusion of the leaves. The roots can also be applied against ulcers; an infusion of the roots is used for thrush. The wood is heavy and hard, seasons well and is suitable in house construction. In the Andamans the wood is a valuable firewood. The seeds yield an oil used in lamps.

• A tree up to 20(-27) m tall.
• Leaves ovate, 8-26 cm × 6-11 cm, base subcordate with 2 small, auricled lobes, apex acuminate, margin entire, lower surface densely covered with bronze scale-like hairs, petiole 2.5-18 cm long.
• Inflorescence densely scaly.
• Calyx outside densely scaly; staminate flowers: petals obovate, 2.5-3 mm long, pilose, stamens 11, filaments with long hairs or glabrous; pistillate flowers: apetalous, disk with stellate hairs, ovary densely scaly.
• Fruit globose, 1.5-2 cm in diameter, 6-grooved.

C. argyratus is found in a variety of vegetation types and soils in subhumid climates, up to 1000(-1500) m altitude. It flowers throughout the year, and the limits of the species are still not fully understood.

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• Croton (Medicinal plants)
• Croton (Timbers)

• P.C. van Welzen & H.J. Esser