POISONOUS AND INJURIOUS PLANTS ao 
house sites. This type of maran contributes significantly to the 
noxious woody pasture weeds common to all pastures in the Virgin 
Islands, even though it is less abundant and more restricted in its 
distribution than is Croton discolor Willd., white maran, and @. 
rigidus (Muell. Arg.) Britton. The plants thrive equally well on 
poor, shallow, rocky soils and on deep, fertile soils. A few plants 
occur in the moderate rainfall belts, but none occur in the forests of 
the highest rainfall areas. They thrive almost equally well in full 
sun or partial shade. 
Toxiciry AND Symproms.—Several species of croton that are 
related to maran, and occur elsewhere yield the toxic material croton 
oil, a powerful purgative when taken internally (35, 45). Quisumb- 
ing has reported that 10 drops of croton oil taken internally will killa 
dog (45). The oil also causes blistering and irritation of the skin 
when applied externally. Although croton oil is concentrated in the 
seeds, it also occurs in the stems and leaves. Maran species that occur 
in the Virgin Islands possess toxic properties similar to those reported 
for croton oil. It is suspected that the toxic material in maran is 
either croton oil or chemically related to it. The plants taste so un- 
pleasant that animals eat them only under emergency conditions, so 
that cases of poisoning are very uncommon. 
MANAGEMENT AND ControL.—Croton astroites Dryand, like the 
other types of croton, forms regrowth following cutting or brush- 
chopping. Grubbing out the weed is recommended where only a few 
plants are involved. Chemical control measures are recommended 
for dense stands or plants scattered over large areas. Denying live- 
stock access to the plants is impractical because of their wide distri- 
bution and abundance. Goats and deer browse on the plants, but 
horses and cattle do not ordinarily eat it. The seeds are scattered by 
wild animals, birds, livestock, and water. Their ability to remain 
dormant for long periods before germination makes it necessary to 
repeat control measures at intervals. Effective control is obtained by 
applying selective herbicides at regular intervals. 
Euphorbiaceae, or Spurge, Family 
Croton betulinus Vahl (fig. 17) 
Broombush 
Description.—This many-branched shrub is 3 to 10 feet high. 
The very slender twigs and the leaf stems and blades, as well as the 
leaflike structures surrounding the flowers, are all covered with short, 
starlike hairs. The smooth bark of the stems is almost black. The 
small, ovate leaves, borne alternately along the stem on short leaf 
stems, are 14 to 4 inch wide and 14 to % inch long. They are rounded 
at the base, and narrow to a blunt point at their tips. The leaf mar- 
gins are rough or serrated. The starlike hairs are fewer and shorter 
on the upper surface of the leaves than on the lower surface, which 
makes the leaves appear darker green above. The very small flowers 
are borne along short flower stems, which occur at the tips of the - 
slender branches. The small, hairy fruiting capsules contain 1 to 5 
- with 3 being the usual number. The plants are reproduced by 
seeds. 
