Croton persimilis is a species of tree in the Euphorbiaceae family. It is native to an area from Thailand in mainland Southeast Asia to southern Yunnan, China and to the Indian subcontinent. It is a pioneer species with a short life span. The plant is used in the traditional medicines of various peoples.
| Croton persimilis | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Croton |
| Species: | C. persimilis
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| Binomial name | |
| Croton persimilis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
editThis tree has leaves that are either coarsely dentate, serrate or crenate, prominently-lobed subglobose fruit some 10 x 8–12 mm in size, and peltate/shield-like indumentum (hair covering on the plant), with rays of scales radiating in 1 plane (at least 80% webbing, rays free of such for only some 20% of total length).[2]
Distribution
editThis species is native to Mainland Southeast Asia, southern Yunnan (Zhōngguó/China) and the Indian subcontinent.[1] Countries and regions in which it occurs include: Thailand; Cambodia; Vietnam; Zhōngguó/China (southern Yunnan); Laos, Myanmar; India (including Assam); Bangladesh; East Himalaya; Sri Lanka
Habitat and ecology
editThe tree is a pioneer species, with a short lifespan.[3]
The tree is a pollen source for stingless bee species in the Lepidotrigona, Tetragonilla and Tetragonula genera at Nam Nao National Park, Phetchabun Province, northern Thailand.[4] The tree occurs in bamboo-deciduous forest and deciduous dipterocarp-oak forest in the park.
In the utilized edge of montane evergreen forest of Doi Suthep–Pui National Park, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, the dominant species were Glochidion lanceolarium, Litsea beusekomii, Schima wallichii, Erythrina stricta, Macaranga indica, Staphylea cochinchinensis, C. persimilis, Pinus kesiya, Litsea martabanica, and Clausena excavata.[3]
This is a host plant for the Eriophyoidea mite Cosella crotoni in Thailand.[5]
The plant is the most abundant tree in the peripheral zone of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha, India, it was pervasive in the buffer zone, but of far lesser presence in the core zone. These zones reflected human interference in the landscape.[6] Other abundant trees in the peripheral zone were Shorea robusta, Glochidion lanceolarium, Caesalpinia digyna, Ziziphus oenoplia, Syzygium cumini and Stereospermum tetragonum. In the buffer zone, apart from C. persimilis, other abundant trees were Holarrhena pubescens, Macaranga peltata, S. robusta, Terminalia alata, and Pongamia pinnata.
Vernacular names
edit- ទុំៃូង, thom pung are names for this species in Khmer language.[7]
- plao yai, and รากเปล้าใหญ่ are names used in Thailand for this plant.[8][9]
Uses
editThe leaves of the species are used in Thai traditional medicine for postpartum (after childbirth) care.[8]
The bark and leaves, at times boiled, are used to treat a variety of ailments in Na Siao subdistrict, Chaiyaphum Province, northern Thailand.[9]
Villagers living on the plateau of Phnom Kulen National Park, Siem Reap Province, northwestern Cambodia, use dried pieces of the trunk and branches to make a "green tea" to treat stomachache, and use the wood-chips mixed with other plants in a decoction for postpartum care.[7]
Four ethnic groups living in the Wayanad District, Kerala, India, the Kattunaikkan, Kuruchiyar, Mullakuruman, and Adiyan people, use the plant to treat inflammation.[10]
History
editThe species was first described in 1865 by the Swiss botanist Johann Müller (1828–96), known in botany (because of his sharing a quite common name) as Johannes Müller Argoviensis. He specialized in lichens. The description was published in the journal Linnaea; Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, (Berlin).[11] Justification of the broader spread of this description was published by the Indian botanists T. Chakrabarty and Nambiyath Puthansurayil Balakrishnan in their 2017 publication.[2]
Further reading
editFurther information of this taxa can be found at the following sources:[1]
- Balakrishnan & Chakrabarty, 2007, The family Euphorbiaceae in India: A synopsis of its profile, taxonomy and bibliography
- Chayamarit & Van Welzen, 2005, 'Euphorbiaceae', Flora of Thailand 8(1)
- Govaerts, 1999, World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b) [cites as Croton joufra]
- Govaerts et al., 2000, World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) [cites as Croton joufra]
- Khan & Khan, 2002, 'Taxonomic and distributional notes on the species' Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 9(1):77-80
- Pasha et al., 2013, 'A taxonomic revision of Croton L. (Euphorbiaceae)', Bangladesh Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 37:379-389.
- Wu et al., 2008, Flora of China 11
References
edit- ^ a b c "Croton persimilis Müll.Arg". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ a b Chakrabarty, T.; Balakrishnan, N.P. (2017). "Croton persimilis (Euphorbiaceae) is the correct name applicable for Roxburgh's illegitimate C. oblongiflolius". Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany. 41 (3–4, Sep.-Dec): 144–7. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ a b Yarnvudhi, Arerut; with four others (2016). "Plant Diversity and Utilization on Ethnobotany of Local People at Hmong Doi Pui Village in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai Province". Thai J. For. 35 (3): 136–146. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Jongjitvimol, Touchkanin; Poolprasert, Pisit (2014). "Pollen Sources of Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponinae) in Nam Nao National Park, Thailand". NU. International Journal of Science. 11 (2): 1–10. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Chandrapatya, Angsumarn; Konvipasruang, Ploychompoo; Amrine, James W. (2016). "Present status of eriophyoid mites in Thailand". J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn. 25 (S1): 83–107. doi:10.2300/acari.25.Suppl_83. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ Saravanan, R. "Floristic and Ethnobotanical Studies of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Balasore District, Odisha (Abstract)" (PDF). Madurai Kamarah University. Madurai Kamaraj University. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ a b Walker, Taylor J. (26 April 2017). An examination of medicinal ethnobotany and biomedicine use in two villages on the Phnom Kulen plateau (Report). Roanoke, United States: Undergraduate Research Awards, Hollins University. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ a b Jaroenngarmsamer, Pongsak; Ounprasertsuk, Jatuporn; Krutchangthong, Pradapet; Dumklieng, Wanna (2019). "Herbal, postpartum care in Thai Traditional Medicine". The ICBTS 2019 International Academic Research Conference in London: 292. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ a b Chaipugdee, Duanpenporn (2020). "Innovative Learning Management for the local wisdom on Herb using Local Community Resource Base". International Journal of Science and Innovative Technology. 3 (1 January–June): 24–34. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Sreejit, Chittiyath Madhavan; Thomas, Perakathusseril Mathew (2017). "Quantitative approach on medicinal plant use data by four Indigenous Tribes of Wayanad District, Kerala, India" (PDF). Journal of Biology and Nature. 8 (3): 111–118. Retrieved 2 March 2021.[dead link]
- ^ "Croton persimilis Müll.Arg., Linnaea 34(1): 116 (1865)". International Plant Name Index (IPNI). The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 3 March 2021.