Croton capitis-york Airy Shaw

Euphorbiaceae

Airy Shaw, H.K. (1981) Muelleria 4(3): 226. Type: Queensland, Silver Plains Holding, between Rocky River and Massey Creek, 13 40 S., 143 28 E., 1973, G. C. Stocker 1077: holo: QRS, iso:BRI, CANB.

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub to 5 m tall.

Leaf blades about 3-16 x 1.2-6 cm, alternate along the twigs. Two glands present just below leaf blade base at  junction with the petiole. Stellate scales present on young leaves, twigs and petioles. Stipules tiny and inconspicuous. Numerous oil dots visible with a lens.

Male flowers: Flowers about 4 mm diam. with a corolla, petals clothed in long woolly hairs in upper half. Female flowers not seen.

Capsules with dense stellate scales on top of mamillate protuberances (nipple-like projections) on the outer surface.

Features not available.

Occurs in CYP and the far northern part of NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to near 500 m. Grows as an understory plant in various types of rain forest and monsoon forest.

Croton capitis-york Airy Shaw var. capitis-york, Muelleria 4(3): 226(1981). Croton capitis-york var. pilosus Airy Shaw, Muelleria 4(3): 226(1981), Type: Queensland, 2 km south of Temple Bay Outstation, 12 22 S., 143 05 E., 1976, B. Hyland 8995; holo: QRS.