e-Flora of Thailand

Volume 8 > Part 1 > Year 2005 > Page 188 > Euphorbiaceae > Codiaeum

Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Rumph. ex A.Juss.wfo-0000905170

Euphorb. Tent.: 33.1.9. 1824.: Blume, Bijdr. 606. 1825 (pro comb. nov.); Parham, Pl. Fiji Is.: 179. 1972.— Croton variegatus L., Sp. Pl.: 1199. 1753. Appendix Fig. 8.


Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.



Synonyms & Citations :

Phyllaurea codiacum Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 575. 1790.
Crozophyla picta Raf., Sylva Tellur. 64. 1838.
Junghuhnia glabra Miq., Fl. Ind. Bat. i. II. 412. 1859.


Description : Ornamental shrub, up to 3 m high. Indumentum mainly absent. Cultivated for the showy leaves, these extremely variable among the various races; blade up to 30 cm long, always variegated or spotted, sometimes only the lower surface dark purplish and the upper green, usually venation yellowish or reddish to dark purplish, in some races leaves spotted with usually yellow dots, broader leaves often lobed, the linear ones often very undulate, sometimes midrib subapically detached and elongated, sometimes with a leaf-like appendix, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences up to 10–30 cm long, with white flowers. Staminate flowers 30–60 per inflorescence, 0.5–1 cm in diam.; pedicel 2.5–3 cm long; sepals 5; stamens numerous. Pistillate flowers 10–20 per inflorescence; ovary 3-locular; style ca 2 mm long. Fruits subglobose, ca 1 cm in diam. Seeds subglobose.


Thailand : Cultivated, present in most gardens.


Distribution : Java, the Philippines, Sulawesi, Maluku, Lesser Sunda Islands, New Guinea. Australia, West Pacific Island arcs up to Fiji.


Vernacular : Koson (โกสน), ko ton (โกรต๋น), kri krasom (กรีกะสม), kri sa ke (กรีสาเก).


CommonName : Croton.


Uses: Ornamental plant for its variegated leaves, many races.


Main

Appendix of Plates of Euphorbiaceae (A–F) Part 1: Figure 8.
Rachun Pooma (cultivated)