Croton megalocarpus Hutch.

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Croton megalocarpus

Photo: Petra Ballings
4x4 club, Donnybrook, Arcturus Road, Harare

Croton megalocarpus

Photo: Petra Ballings
4x4 club, Donnybrook, Arcturus Road, Harare

Croton megalocarpus

Photo: Petra Ballings
4x4 club, Donnybrook, Arcturus Road, Harare

Croton megalocarpus

Photo: Petra Ballings
4x4 club, Donnybrook, Arcturus Road, Harare

Croton megalocarpus

Photo: Mark Hyde
Reps Theatre, Harare

Croton megalocarpus

Photo: Mark Hyde
Reps Theatre, Harare

Croton megalocarpus

Photo: Mark Hyde
Reps Theatre Harare

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:
Common names: Kenya croton (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Monoecious or dioecious large tree up to 30 m tall. Leaves alternate: petiole 1.5 - 11 cm long; lamina entire, elliptic-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, green and minutely stellate-pubescent above, silvery scales flecked with brown beneath, usually with 2(-4) glands on the undersurface near the base or on the upper part of the petiole. Inflorescence a terminal pendulous raceme, up to 16 cm long. Male flowers: buds 4-5 mm in diameter; pedicels 3-10 mm long; petals 5, pale yellow; stamens c. 30. Female flowers: pedicels 4-10 mm, extending to 2 cm in fruit; petals 5; styles 3. Fruits 3-4.5 × 2.5-4 cm, ovoid-ellipsoid to subspherical, loculicidal.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: megalocarpus: refers to the relatively large fruit.
Habitat: Canopy tree of rain forest and riverine forest and in high rainfall Brachystegia woodland
Altitude range:
Flowering time:Sep-Nov
Worldwide distribution: DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia
Mozambique distribution: N
Growth form(s): Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Saturday 8 December 2018
Literature:

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 441. (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.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & White, F. (1990). New and noteworthy plants from the evergreen forests of Malawi Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 60(1/2) Page 77.

Maroyi, A. (2006). Preliminary checklist of introduced and naturalized plants in Zimbabwe. Kirkia 18(2) Page 211.

Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Page 282.

Other sources of information about Croton megalocarpus:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Croton megalocarpus
Flora of Zambia: Croton megalocarpus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Croton megalocarpus
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Croton megalocarpus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Croton megalocarpus
African Plant Database: Croton megalocarpus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Croton megalocarpus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Croton megalocarpus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Croton megalocarpus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Croton megalocarpus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Croton megalocarpus
JSTOR Plant Science: Croton megalocarpus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Croton megalocarpus
Plants of the World Online: Croton megalocarpus
Tropicos: Croton megalocarpus
Wikipedia: Croton megalocarpus


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Croton megalocarpus.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=165160, retrieved 28 March 2024

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