Changes

| Medicinal= 1

}}

<big>''[[Croton mauritianus]]'' Lam.</big>

__NOTOC__

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Croton mauritianus'' (PROTA)}}

:Protologue: Encycl. 2: 205 (1786).

:Family: Euphorbiaceae

== Vernacular names ==

== Origin and geographic distribution ==

The aerial parts tested positive for alkaloids. A methanol extract of the leaves and of the stem had considerable free radical scavenging activity.

Monoecious shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall; stem up to 20 cm in diameter; young twigs with short stellate hairs. Leaves in whorls, simple, strongly scented; stipules small; petiole 2–5 cm long; blade ovate, 6–15 cm × 3–9 cm, base cordate, with 2 small, sessile glands, apex acute, margins variously toothed, soft-hairy on both sides. Inflorescence a terminal raceme 3–12 cm long, with up to 25 male flowers at end and 2–3 female flowers at base. Flowers unisexual, regular, 5-merous, white; male flowers with pedicel up to 15 mm long, sepals triangular, 2–3 mm long, with stellate hairs, petals oblong-obovate, c. 5 mm long, stamens 45–60, free, 4–5 mm long; female flowers with pedicel 18–20 mm long, sepals fused to half their length, c. 5 mm long, petals oblong-obovate, 3–6 mm × 1–2 mm, recurved between the sepals, with long hairs on margins, staminodes c. 3 mm long if present, ovary superior, rounded, 3-lobed, silky hairy, 3-celled, styles 3, several times 2-fid. Fruit an oblong to ovoid, 3-lobed capsule 6–8 mm long, with stellate hairs, 3-seeded. Seeds ovoid, pale brown to black.

''Croton'' comprises about 1200 species and occurs throughout the warmer regions of the world. It is best represented in the Americas; in continental Africa about 65 species occur and in Madagascar about 125. Réunion has 1 endemic species and Mauritius about 4.

== Author(s) ==

== Correct citation of this article ==

[[fr:{{PAGENAME}}]]