Paracroton pendulus

Paracroton pendulus
	Paracroton pendulus subsp. zeylanicus
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Genus:	Paracroton
Species:	P. pendulus
Binomial name
	Paracroton pendulus; (Hassk.) Miq.
Subspecies
	Paracroton pendulus subsp. pendulus; Paracroton pendulus subsp. zeylanicus (Thwaites) N.P.Balakr. & Chakr.;
Synonyms
	Blumeodendron muelleri Kurz ; Croton pendulus Hassk.; Fahrenheitia collina Rchb. & Zoll. ex Müll.Arg. ; Fahrenheitia pendula (Hassk.) Airy Shaw ; Ostodes collina (Rchb. & Zoll. ex Müll.Arg.) Pax ; Ostodes macrophylla (Müll.Arg.) Benth. & Hook.f. ; Ostodes pendula (Hassk.) A.Meeuse ; Ostodes serratocrenata Merr. ; Paracroton pendulus subsp. pendulus; Trigonostemon macrophyllus (Müll.Arg.) Müll.Arg. ; Tritaxis macrophylla Müll.Arg. ;

Paracroton pendulus is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is a tree native to the Western Ghats of southwestern India, Sri Lanka, southern Myanmar, Peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines.^[2]^[1]

It is a canopy or subcanopy tree in tropical moist evergreen forests from 150 to 1800 meters elevation.^[4]

Description

Leaves - simple, alternate; lamina elliptic to oblanceolate; apex acuminate; margin serrate.
Flowers - unisexual flowers are dioecious. inflorescence is panicled pendulous racemes.
Fruits - globose brownish tomentose capsule.
Uses - timber, medicine. red sap is known to have irritating ability.^[5]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are accepted.^[2]

Paracroton pendulus subsp. pendulus – southern Myanmar to the Philippines
Paracroton pendulus subsp. zeylanicus (Thwaites) N.P.Balakr. & Chakr. (synonyms Desmostemon zeylanicus Thwaites, Fahrenheitia zeylanica (Thwaites) Airy Shaw, Ostodes zeylanica (Thwaites) Müll.Arg., and Trigonostemon zeylanicus (Thwaites) Müll.Arg.) – southwestern India and Sri Lanka^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. 2018. Paracroton pendulus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T135805578A135805580. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T135805578A135805580.en. Accessed 11 August 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Paracroton pendulus (Hassk.) Miq". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
^ "Paracroton pendulus (Hassk.) Miq. — The Plant List". theplantlist.org.
^ "Paracroton pendulus - EUPHORBIACEAE". biotik.org.
^ "Paracroton pendulus". asianplant.net.
^ "Paracroton pendulus subsp. zeylanicus (Thwaites) N.P.Balakr. & Chakr". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 August 2025.

[iucn-1] Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. 2018. Paracroton pendulus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T135805578A135805580. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T135805578A135805580.en. Accessed 11 August 2025.

[powo-2] "Paracroton pendulus (Hassk.) Miq". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 August 2025.

[3] "Paracroton pendulus (Hassk.) Miq. — The Plant List". theplantlist.org.

[4] "Paracroton pendulus - EUPHORBIACEAE". biotik.org.

[5] "Paracroton pendulus". asianplant.net.

[6] "Paracroton pendulus subsp. zeylanicus (Thwaites) N.P.Balakr. & Chakr". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 August 2025.

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