Common Name:

General Information

Croton antanosiensis is a shrub growing up to 4 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use to make an alcoholic drink and as a stuffing material and insect repellent.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Madagascar.

Habitat

Hilly shrubland and in forest on laterite, sometimes near streams, at elevations from sea-level up to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Most Croton species are relatively indifferent to their habitat and can grow on a wide range of soils in both disturbed and undisturbed vegetation[].

Edible Uses

The stem bark is used to make a bitter alcoholic beverage, which is used in circumcision ceremonies to induce virility[]. A strong stem bark decoction was taken as an ordeal poison in former times.

Medicinal

More than 20 compounds have been found in the essential oil of the dried aerial parts of the plant; of which more than 70% are monoterpenes, followed by sesquiterpenes. Major components are alpha-pinene (33%), beta-pinene (16%), limonene (6%) and trans-nerolidol (6%)[].

Other Uses

Leafy branches are used as mattress filling, especially as lice repellent[].
The leafy branches are used to fumigate houses in case of epidemic diseases[].

Propagation

Seed -

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