Synonym(s)
Croton oil tree; croton tiglium; Jatropha
DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.
The croton oil tree (from Greek croton = dog tick) from the genus Croton in the family Crotonoideae (spurge plants - see also garden spurge).
The croton oil tree is native to South East Asia (India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, China).
The shrub or tree, which can grow up to 6 m tall, is characterised by long-stemmed, ovoid, lobed leaves. These are multi-coloured 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