Botanical name: Croton zeylanicus    Family: Euphorbiaceae (Castor family)
Synonyms: Oxydectes zeylanica, Croton reticulatus

Ceylon croton is a shrub, densely covered with brown, frilly scales. Leaves are up to 20 x 6 cm, ovate-lanceshaped, long-pointed, rounded at base, white-scaly below. Lateral nerves are 6-10 pairs, glands 1 pair, stalks 1-3 cm long. Flowers are borne in racemes 6 cm long. Female flowers are stalked, 4 mm across, sepals ovate, blunt, petals obovate, smaller, velvety, ovary brown starry-hairy, styles 3, each 3 fid and then 2 fid, glabrous. Male flowers are smaller, stamens many, filaments hairless. Capsule are 1.3 x 1 cm, ovoid, seeds 8 x7 mm, oblong, mottled with brown. Ceylon croton is found in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Flowering: March-October.

Your name:
Your email:
Your comments
The flower labeled Ceylon Croton is ...