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<big>''[[Croton tiglium]]'' L.</big>

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

:Protologue: Sp. pl. 2: 1004 (1753).

:Family: Euphorbiaceae

== Vernacular names ==

== Origin and geographic distribution ==

The seed cake retains its toxicity and is thus not suitable for cattle feed.

Monoecious, evergreen shrub or small tree up to 6(–12) m tall; young branches sparsely stellate hairy, soon glabrous. Leaves alternate, almost opposite at the end of shoots, simple; stipules up to 3.5 mm long; petiole up to 2.5(–6.5) cm long; blade ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 5–17 cm × 2.5–9.5 cm, base cuneate to broadly rounded with 2 stalked or sessile glands, apex obtuse to acuminate, margins shallowly toothed to almost entire, glabrous, metallic green to bronze or orange, sparsely hairy beneath. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme 5–7 cm long, with male flowers in upper half and female flowers in lower half. Flowers unisexual, 5-merous; pedicel 2–4 mm long; sepals triangular to ovate, c. 2 mm long, hairy; male flowers with elliptical-lanceolate petals c. 2 mm long, whitish, stamens 15–20, free; female flowers with petals lacking, ovary superior, rounded, c. 2 mm long, densely stellate hairy, 3-celled, styles 3, deeply 2-fid, c. 4 mm long. Fruit an oblong-obovoid to slightly 3-lobed capsule 2–2.5 cm long, dull yellow, roughly stellate hairy, 3-seeded. Seeds ellipsoid-trigonous, c. 9 mm × 6 mm, greyish brown.

''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.

== Ecology ==

''Croton tiglium'' occurs in a wide range of vegetation and soil types, up to 1500 m altitude. In tropical Africa it is usually planted around villages. It tolerates an annual rainfall of 600–1200 mm, an annual temperature of 21–27.5°C and a soil pH of 4.5–7.5.

== Management ==

== Author(s) ==

== Correct citation of this article ==

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