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Croton membranaceus (PROTA)

35 bytes removed, 17:46, 26 November 2014
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<big>''[[Croton membranaceus]]'' Müll.Arg.</big>
 
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Croton membranaceus'' (PROTA)}}
 
:Protologue: Flora 47: 534 (1864).
:Family: Euphorbiaceae
 
== Synonyms ==
 
 
 
== Vernacular names ==
 
 
== Origin and geographic distribution ==
The root bark contains scopoletin and julocrotine, a glutarimide alkaloid. It also contains calcium oxalate crystals.
== Botany Description ==
Monoecious herb or undershrub up to 1(–2) m tall; branches slender, densely stellate hairy. Leaves opposite or alternate, when opposite the two very unequal in size, simple and entire; stipules tiny; petiole 2–6 mm long; blade ovate, 3–7.5 cm × 2–5 cm, base rounded, basal glands absent, apex acuminate, sparsely stellate hairy above, densely stellate hairy beneath. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme c. 5 cm long, few-flowered, with male flowers at end and female flowers at base. Flowers unisexual, 5-merous, regular, white; pedicel short; male flowers with elliptical sepals and obovate petals c. 2 mm long, margin woolly hairy, stamens 10, free; female flowers with narrowly lanceolate sepals c. 4 mm long, petals rudimentary or absent, ovary superior, rounded, densely hairy, 3-celled, styles 3, apex 2-fid. Fruit an ellipsoid, slightly 3-lobed capsule c. 5 mm in diameter, 3-seeded.
''Croton'' comprises about 1200 species and occurs throughout the warmer regions of the world. It is best represented in the Americas; about 65 species occur in continental Africa and about 125 in Madagascar. Another medicinally used ''Croton'' with a restricted distribution in West Africa is ''Croton eluteria'' (L.) W.Wright (‘cascarilla’), which originates from the Caribbean and northern South America. It was introduced into Nigeria in the 19<sup>th</sup> century for its use as a tonic and aromatic bitter, which improves digestion. The essential oil of the bark is used in aromatherapy to treat cough, fever, flatulence, nausea and diarrhoea. In the Bahamas the leaves are used to aromatize tobacco. The active compounds of the bark are neoclerodane diterpenoids, such as cascarillins A–I and cascallin. == Description Other botanical information ==
''Croton'' comprises about 1200 species and occurs throughout the warmer regions of the world. It is best represented in the Americas; about 65 species occur in continental Africa and about 125 in Madagascar.
=== ''Croton eluteria'' ===
Another medicinally used ''Croton'' with a restricted distribution in West Africa is ''[[Croton eluteria]]'' (L.) W.Wright (‘cascarilla’), which originates from the Caribbean and northern South America. It was introduced into Nigeria in the 19<sup>th</sup> century for its use as a tonic and aromatic bitter, which improves digestion. The essential oil of the bark is used in aromatherapy to treat cough, fever, flatulence, nausea and diarrhoea. In the Bahamas the leaves are used to aromatize tobacco. The active compounds of the bark are neoclerodane diterpenoids, such as cascarillins A–I and cascallin.
== Ecology ==
== 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. '''Croton membranaceus''' Müll.Arg. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>. Accessed {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}.
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[[Category:PROTA prov]][[Category:Medicinal plants (PROTA)]]
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