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4. Croton laccifeius Linn., Sp. PI. IC05. 1753. (Fig. 194).
Croton aromaticus var. laccifeius Trim.
Sinh. Gas-keppitiya, Keppitiya; 7am. Teppaddi.
EUPHORBIACEAE
A large shrub with a smooth, pale grey bark; young parts almost villous with yellowish,
hair; leaves simple, alternate, 8—9 cm long, 5.5—6.5 cm broad, ovate, rounded or subcordate
at base, shortly attenuate, acute, irregularly and shallowly crenate—serrate or almost entire,
hairy on both sides, woolly beneath with simple, long hairs mixed with stellate ones, base with a
pair of small, circular, peltate glands; petioles 2.5—4.5 cm long, hairy; stipules filiform;
flowers regular, unisexual, greenish—white, monoecious in usually terminal slender racemes,
female flowers few confined to the base; male flowers: about 5 mm across; sepals 5, imbricate,
acute, stellate, hairy; petals 5, ovate bordered with white hair, disc glands opposite sepals; stamens
20 or less, disc slightly hairy, pistillode absent- female flowers: 4 mm across; sepals
5, imbricate, stellate hairy, enlarged in the fruit; petals absent; ovary superior, densely stellate
hairy, 3-locuJar with one ovule in each chamber, styles split almost to the base into filiform
branches; fruit nearly globose, densely hairy; seeds ovoid, smooth and dark brown.
Flowers from August to November.
Illustrations. Burmann, Thes. Zeyl. pi. 91. 1737; Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.
Distribution. Grows in South India and Ceylon. It is very common, both in the moist
and dry regions up to 3000 feet altitude in Ceylon.
Ceylon. Central Prov., Ritigala, Willis, March 1905; Dambulla, Alston 599, March
1927; Rattota, Alston 662, June 1927; Kandy, Alston 2221, Oct. 1927; Peradeniya, Bot. Gard.,
Jayaweera 1362, March 1955.
Uses. A continuous waxy incrustation formed by the secretions of certain species of
scale-insects (Tachardia lacca) living on the tender branches of the shrub, sucking juice from
them, forms the lac of commerce much used for lacquer work in Ceylon. It is used medicinally
in the preparation of medicinal oils and pills used in the treatment of fever, colds, dysentery and
lung diseases including tuberculosis. The root is used for preparation of pills given for
chronic fevers. The juice of the bark and leaves is used as a styptic and on skin diseases.
The leaves are used for manuring paddyfields and bete! vines as they are supposed to
control certain soil-borne pests and diseases
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