Croton reflexifolius
H. B. Kunth
Oliy
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(c) Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
(c) Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Neptalí Ramírez Marcial, some rights reserved (CC BY)
(c) Neptalí Ramírez Marcial, some rights reserved (CC BY)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Bark - flavouring
The leaves are eaten as a famine food. The bark is used as a flavouring.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant.
Central America, Mexico, North America, Yucatan,
Countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, St Vincent
How to Identify
A tropical shrub in the Euphorbiaceae family.
How to Grow
Most Croton species are relatively indifferent to their habitat and can grow on a wide range of soils in both disturbed and undisturbed vegetation.
Medicinal Uses
The strongly aromatic leaves are antiinflammatory, febrifuge and tonic. They are used as a home remedy for malaria, inflammations and other afflictions.
Other Uses
The plant is often used as a hedge and shelterbelt to protect coffee plantations in Central America.
Other Information
A famine food.
Notes
There are about 750 Croton species.
References (2)
- ALCORN,
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 276
