Croton tiglium

Evergreen shrub or small tree up to 6m tall, young branches sparsely stellate-hairy, soon glabrous. Leaves alternate, almost opposite at the end of shoots, simple. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme 5 to 7 cm long, with male flowers in upper half and female flowers in lower half.

Flowers unisexual, pedicel 2 to 4 mm long, sepals triangular to ovate, male flowers with elliptical-lanceolate petals whitish, female flowers with petals lacking, ovary superior, rounded, densely stellate hairy, Fruit an oblong-obovoid to slightly 3 lobed capsules long, dull yellow, roughly stellate hairy, 3 seeded. Seeds ellipsoid-trigonous, greyish brown. Croton comprises about 1200 species and occurs throughout the warmer regions of the world. The powdered seeds mixed with dates are eaten as a purgative. The seed oil and bark were widely used in folk medicine as a remedy for cancerous sores and tumors, carbuncles, colds, dysentery, fever, paralysis, scabies, schistosomiasis, snakebite, sore throat, and toothache.