Paracroton pendulus is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is a tree native to the Western Ghats of southwestern India, Sri Lanka, southern Myanmar, Peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines.
It is a canopy or subcanopy tree in tropical moist evergreen forests from 150 to 1800 meters elevation.
Description
- Leaves - simple, alternate; lamina elliptic to oblanceolate; apex acuminate; margin serrate.
- Flowers - unisexual flowers are dioecious. inflorescence is panicled pendulous racemes.
- Fruits - globose brownish tomentose capsule.
- Uses - timber, medicine. red sap is known to have irritating ability.
Subspecies
Two subspecies are accepted.
- Paracroton pendulus subsp. pendulus â southern Myanmar to the Philippines
- Paracroton pendulus subsp. zeylanicus (synonyms Desmostemon zeylanicus , Fahrenheitia zeylanica , Ostodes zeylanica , and Trigonostemon zeylanicus ) â southwestern India and Sri Lanka
References