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4. Croton laccifeius Linn., Sp. PI. IC05. 1753. (Fig. 194).<br />
Croton aromaticus var. laccifeius Trim.<br />
Sinh. Gas-keppitiya, Keppitiya; 7am. Teppaddi.<br />
EUPHORBIACEAE<br />
A large shrub with a smooth, pale grey bark; young parts almost villous with yellowish,<br />
hair; leaves simple, alternate, 8—9 cm long, 5.5—6.5 cm broad, ovate, rounded or subcordate<br />
at base, shortly attenuate, acute, irregularly and shallowly crenate—serrate or almost entire,<br />
hairy on both sides, woolly beneath with simple, long hairs mixed with stellate ones, base with a<br />
pair of small, circular, peltate glands; petioles 2.5—4.5 cm long, hairy; stipules filiform;<br />
flowers regular, unisexual, greenish—white, monoecious in usually terminal slender racemes,<br />
female flowers few confined to the base; male flowers: about 5 mm across; sepals 5, imbricate,<br />
acute, stellate, hairy; petals 5, ovate bordered with white hair, disc glands opposite sepals; stamens<br />
20 or less, disc slightly hairy, pistillode absent- female flowers: 4 mm across; sepals<br />
5, imbricate, stellate hairy, enlarged in the fruit; petals absent; ovary superior, densely stellate<br />
hairy, 3-locuJar with one ovule in each chamber, styles split almost to the base into filiform<br />
branches; fruit nearly globose, densely hairy; seeds ovoid, smooth and dark brown.<br />
Flowers from August to November.<br />
Illustrations. Burmann, Thes. Zeyl. pi. 91. 1737; Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.<br />
Distribution. Grows in South India and Ceylon. It is very common, both in the moist<br />
and dry regions up to 3000 feet altitude in Ceylon.<br />
Ceylon. Central Prov., Ritigala, Willis, March 1905; Dambulla, Alston 599, March<br />
1927; Rattota, Alston 662, June 1927; Kandy, Alston 2221, Oct. 1927; Peradeniya, Bot. Gard.,<br />
Jayaweera 1362, March 1955.<br />
Uses. A continuous waxy incrustation formed by the secretions of certain species of<br />
scale-insects (Tachardia lacca) living on the tender branches of the shrub, sucking juice from<br />
them, forms the lac of commerce much used for lacquer work in Ceylon. It is used medicinally<br />
in the preparation of medicinal oils and pills used in the treatment of fever, colds, dysentery and<br />
lung diseases including tuberculosis. The root is used for preparation of pills given for<br />
chronic fevers. The juice of the bark and leaves is used as a styptic and on skin diseases.<br />
The leaves are used for manuring paddyfields and bete! vines as they are supposed to<br />
control certain soil-borne pests and diseases<br />
197