Common Name: Cascarilla

General Information

Croton eluteria can vary in habit from a shrub 1.5 - 3 metres tall to a small tree growing up to 12 metres tall[, ].
The tree is often used in herbal medicine, the bark being gathered from the wild and traded internationally.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Caribbean - Bahamas; Cuba; Dominican Republic; Haiti; Jamaica.

Habitat

Thickets and woodlands on limestone soils in both dry and wet areas at elevations from sea level to 870 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Most Croton species are relatively indifferent to their habitat and can grow on a wide range of soils, though this species is found mainly in limestone soils. It can grow in both disturbed and undisturbed vegetation[].
The tree produces small but very fragrant white flowers almost all the year round[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Cascarilla has a very long history of traditional herbal medicine use worldwide[]. The bark is antispasmodic, antitussive, aromatic bitter, astringent, carminative, cholagogue, digestive, expectorant, febrifuge, hypotensive, stimulant and tonic[, , ].
It has long been used as a general bitter digestive aid, to stimulate the digestion and promote the flow of digestive juices[]. It is utilized in the treatment of a range of problems connected with the digestive system such as nausea and vomiting; diarrhoea and dysentery; dyspepsia and colic; intestinal bloating and gas[]. It has also been used in the treatment of a wide range of other conditions including intermittent and low fevers; as an expectorant for chronic bronchitis; anaemia, haemorrhoids, high blood pressure and as an overall tonic during convalescence[].

Cascarilla contains a range of medically active constituents including 1.5 to 3% volatile oils, a bitter compound called cascarillin A, resins, tannin, lipids, and several neoclerodane diterpenoids called cascarillins.
Research has shown that the bark's essential oil is antimicrobial. The long standing traditional use of cascarilla for digestion was verified by scientists in 2003. These researchers in Italy reported that cascarilla and its major chemical compound, cascarillin, were found to significantly increase gastric acid secretion in the stomach. They noted; 'These preliminary results provide the first rationale for the use of cascarilla in bitter preparations aimed at improving digestion.'[].

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the bark[].
'Cascarilla oil'. an essential oil obtained from hydrodistillation of the powdered bark is used as a perfume in commercial cosmetic products[].

Propagation

Seed -

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