Synonym(s)
Croton oil tree; croton tiglium; Jatropha
DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.
The croton oil tree (from the Greek croton = dog tick) from the genus Croton in the Crotonoideae family (spurge family - see also garden spurge).
The Croton oil tree is native to Southeast Asia (India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, China).
The up to 6m tall shrub or tree is characterized by long-stemmed, egg-shaped, lobed leaves. These are variously colored and appear with green, yellow and red patterns. The flowers are rather inconspicuous, arranged in clusters. The fruits are about the size of a hazelnut and contain 3 seeds.
Croton tiglium is the parent plant of Semen crotonis, the croton seed from which croton oil is extracted.
Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer
Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles