Croton sylvaticus Hochst. ex C. Krauss.

Images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record

Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba rd in Bunga Forest

Photo: Bart Wursten
Ndundu Lodge, Vumba

Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba Rd at corner of Jevington rd, Vumba

Photo: Mark Hyde
48, Borrowdale Road, Harare

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

Synonyms:	Croton bukobensis Pax Croton oxypetalus Müll. Arg. Croton stuhlmannii Pax Croton verdickii De Wild.
Common names:	Forest croton (English) Mubvukuta (Shona) Murungamunu (Shona) Musuguta (Shona)
Frequency:	Locally common
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or medium to large deciduous tree. Bark pale to dark grey, smooth when young, slightly rough in older trees. Leaves elliptic, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, up to c. 20 cm long, fairly thinly textured, somewhat almond-like aromatic when crushed, stellate hairy on both surfaces when young, hairless when older, 3-5-veined from the base, stalked glands present at the base of the leaf below; margin with glandular teeth. Flowers in terminal racemes, unisexual, mostly male with some female flowers near the base of the inflorescence. Fruit 3-lobed, up to 1 cm in diameter, in conspicuous clusters, orange when ripe.
Notes:	This species could be confused with Macaranga mellifera and M. capensis, trees growing in similar habitats. However, in both these species the leaves are densely covered in small golden glands on the under surface but lack stellate hairs and the stalked glands at the base of the leaf below. C. sylvaticus has stellate hairs below, particularly when young and small stalked glands at the base below (image 2) but no golden glands.
Derivation of specific name:	sylvaticus: sylvan, forest-loving
Habitat:	In forest or associated dense woodland, sometimes as a pioneer species.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 1700 m
Flowering time:	Oct - Dec
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread throughout most of tropical Africa
Zimbabwe distribution:	E,S
Growth form:	T
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Tuesday 30 April 2013
Literature:

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Other sources of information about Croton sylvaticus:

Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Croton sylvaticus page
Flora of Mozambique: Croton sylvaticus
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Croton sylvaticus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Croton sylvaticus
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Croton sylvaticus
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Croton sylvaticus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Croton sylvaticus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Croton sylvaticus
JSTOR Plant Science: Croton sylvaticus
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Croton sylvaticus
Tropicos: Croton sylvaticus
West African Plants database: Croton sylvaticus