238 



N. Ord. EUPHORBIACE.E. 

 Tribe Crotonea. 



Genus Croton,* Linn, (emend). Baill., Hist. PI., v, p. 129; 

 Miill. Arg. in DC. Prod., xv, sect. 2, pp. 512700. Species 

 about 450, mostly tropical. 



238. Croton Eluteria,t /. /. Dennett, in Journ, Linn. Soc., iv 

 (1859), p. 29 (non Swartz). 



Sweetwood Bark. Sweet Bark. Bahama Cascarilla. 



Syn Elutheria, Linn., Hort. Cliff. Clutia Eluteria, Linn., 8p. Plant. 



Figures. Woodville, t. 223, fig. 2 ; cop. in Steph. & Ch., t. 150 (drawn 

 from Dean's specimens in Brit. Museum) ; Daniell, in Pharm. Journ., 

 1862, 1st plate. 



Description. A compact shrub or small tree, attaining at the 

 most 20 feet, and usually much smaller, with slender wand-like 

 branches, which frequently divide dichotomously at an acute 

 angle. Bark fissured, pale yellow-brown, scented; the young 

 twigs covered with minute peltate scales. Leaves few, alternate, 

 without stipules, on longish petioles; blade 1| 2 inches long, 

 ovate-lanceolate, rounded or sub-cordate at the base, much 

 attenuated into the blunt apex ; margin somewhat undulated or 

 irregularly dentate ; the under surface, as also the petioles, entirely 

 covered, so that the venation is concealed, by a close coating 

 of minute, peltate, radiated scales, white with a bronze centre, 

 giving the surface a metallic bronzed- silver appearance; on the 

 upper surface the scales are entirely white, more scattered, not 

 forming an unbroken layer. Flowers monoecious, in erect axillary 

 racemes ; the pedicels and calices rusty-looking, with bronzed 

 stellate scales, bracts shorter than the pedicels, buds nearly 

 globular ; petals white. Male flowers numerous in each raceme : 

 calyx deeply 5-partite, the divisions broad and rounded ; petals 



* From Kportav, a tick. 



f The name Eluteria is derived from Eleuthera, one of the Bahama Is. 

 adjacent to Providence Island. 



