M. Thulin (1993) Croton. Flora of Somalia 1-301-303
Plants usually trees or shrubs, sometimes herbs or woody vines; monoecious or unisexual and species dioecious species, unisexual; with stellate hairs and/or peltate scales. Leaves alternate, simple,usually with stipules, usually with 2 sessile or stalked discoid glands at the base of the blades. Inflorescences usually racemose or spicate, rarely paniculate, unisexual or usually with the female flowers below the males. Male flowers: sepals (4-)5(-6), valvate or imbricate; petals usually present, rarely absent, (4-)5(-6), free; disc-glands small, opposite the sepals, free or fused; stamens central, 5-many, free. Female flowers: sepals often narrower than in males; petals often smaller than in males or absent; discs annualror composed of separate glands or rudimentary; ovaries (2-)3(-4)-celled, with 1 ovule per cell; styles 1-several times bifid or bipartite, rarely laciniate. Fruits dehiscing septicidally into 3 cocci or loculicidally into 3 valves or drupacoues or berry-like; seeds usually smooth, carunculate.
Croton includes about 800 species. It grows throughout the tropics, sometimes extending into warm temperate regions. Eight species are known from Somaliland and Somalia.