Croton
(from kroton, a tick; referring to the appearance of the seeds). SYN. Tiglium. ORD. Euphorbiaceae. A large genus (about 500 species) of trees and shrubs--rarely herbs--differing widely in habit and general aspect, dispersed all over the warmer parts of the world. Male flowers: calyx cylindrical, five-toothed; petals five; stamens ten to fifteen. Female flowers: calyx many-leaved; corolla none; styles three, bifid; capsules three-celled. None are worth cultivating as garden plants. Several, however, are very important from an economic standpoint. C. Tiglium, from the Indian Archipelago, &c., yields Croton oil, one of the most drastic cathartics known. C. Eluteria furnishes the Cascarilla bark, also used in medicine. Others yield resins, &c. See Codiaeum, under which genus will be found included the large class of plants popularly known as Crotons.