Home | > | List of families | > | Euphorbiaceae | > | Croton | > | sylvaticus |
Synonyms: |
Croton bukobensis Pax Croton oxypetalus Müll. Arg. Croton stuhlmannii Pax Croton verdickii De Wild. |
Common names: | Forest croton (English) Mount Selinda linden (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Shrub or medium to large deciduous tree. Bark pale to dark grey, smooth when young, slightly rough in older trees. Leaves elliptic, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, up to c. 20 cm long, fairly thinly textured, somewhat almond-like aromatic when crushed, stellate hairy on both surfaces when young, hairless when older, 3-5-veined from the base, stalked glands present at the base of the leaf below; margin with glandular teeth. Flowers in terminal racemes, unisexual, mostly male with some female flowers near the base of the inflorescence. Fruit 3-lobed, up to 1 cm in diameter, in conspicuous clusters, orange when ripe. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | sylvaticus: sylvan, forest-loving |
Habitat: | In forest or associated dense woodland, sometimes as a pioneer species. |
Altitude range: | Up to 1700 m |
Flowering time: | Oct - Dec |
Worldwide distribution: | Widespread throughout most of tropical Africa |
Malawi distribution: | N,S |
Growth form(s): | Tree. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | Epiphora mythimnia (Larval foodplant) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Monday 4 September 2017 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 444. (Includes a picture). Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 18. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 252. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 41. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 286 - 287. Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 25. Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 36. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 86. Timberlake, J.R., Bayliss, J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Congdon, C., Branch, B., Collins, S., Curran, M., Dowsett, R,J., Fishpool, L., Francisco, J., Harris, Kopp, M. & de Sousa, C. (2012). Mt Mabu, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/036. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London Page 73. |
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