Common Name:

General Information

Croton decaryi is a shrub with strongly scented foliage, growing up to 2 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use and as an insect repellent stuffing for mattresses.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - southwestern Madagascar.

Habitat

Open forests and stream banks at low elevations[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	1.50 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

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the aerial parts is taken to calm patients with paranoid psychosis[].

Other Uses

The aromatic leafy branches are used as a mattress filler to repel insects, especially lice[].
The dry leaves contain about 0.3% essential oil[]. The essential oil of the leaves is rich in monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Major components are beta caryophyllene (27%), alpha pinene (21%), alpha humulene (19%), beta pinene (7%) and caryophyllene oxide (5%)[].
The dry stems contain about 0.2% essential oil. This comprises mainly monoterpenes and oxygenated monoterpenes; the major components are alpha pinene (26%), borneol (13%), camphene (11%), beta pinene (7%), beta caryophyllene (9%) and caryophyllene oxide (6%)[].

Propagation

Seed -

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