NAT. ORDER. 



Tricocce. 



CROTON TIGLIUM. PURGING CROTON. 



Class XXI. MoNoECiA. Order VIII. Monadelphia. 



Gen. Char. Male ; Calyx, cylindric, five-toothed. Corolla, five- 

 petalled. Stamens, ten to fifteen. Female ; Calyx, many-leaved. 

 Corolla, none. Styles, three, bifid. Capsule, triocular. Seed, 

 one. 



Sjpe. Char. Leaves, ovate-acuminate, serrated, glabrous, with two 

 glands at the base. Petioles, shorter than the leaves. Racemes, 

 terminal. Stem, arboreous. 



This species of Croton is a native of Asia ; growing in many 

 parts of India, China, the islands of Ceylon, Java, etc. It is a tret 

 that seldom exceeds the height of fifteen or twenty feet ; the trunk 

 and larger branches are covered with a soft bark, of a blackish 

 color — the younger ones are green, with a reddish tinge ; the 

 leaves, are alternate, ovate-acuminate, serrated, smooth, and of a 

 bright green color when old — downy, with stellated hairs, while 

 young — standing upon petioles about one fourth of their length, with 

 two glands seated at their base ; xhejloivers are in erect, simple ter- 

 minal racemes, with downy pedicels; the calyx in the the 7nale- 

 ftotcer, is cylindrical and five-toothed ; the corolla is composed of five 

 straw-colored petals, which are very hairy ; the stamens are from 

 ten to fifteen; in the female Jlower i\ie calyx is divided into many 

 obtuse segments, which are reflected under the downy germen ; 

 there is no corolla ; the styles are th-ree and bifid ; the capsule is 

 about the size of a hazel-nut, trylocular, smooth, and containing 

 three seeds. 



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