Mallotus repandus (Rottler) Müll.Arg.

Euphorbiaceae

Mueller Argoviensis, J. (1865) Linnaea 34: 197. 

Climbing mallotus

Vine stem diameters to 22 cm recorded. Blaze very finely layered. Blaze odour resembling that of green peas (Pisum sativum).

Stipules hairy, caducous, often less than 1 mm long. Leaf blades about 4.5-11 x 3.8-11 cm, often slightly peltate, petioles about 3-7.5 cm long. Numerous yellow or golden glands visible with a lens on the underside of the leaf blade as well as a covering of short hairs. Usually 2-4 flat glands visible on the upper surface of the leaf blade near its junction with the petiole. Domatia are small tufts of hair, often poorly defined. Stellate hairs often visible with a lens on the underside of the leaf blade. Small pale-coloured oil dots visible with a lens, more obvious from the upper surface. Twig pith produces an orange exudate. Recurved (backwards pointing) branches assist climbing.

Male flowers: Inflorescence clothed in pale stellate hairs. Flowers about 6-10 mm diam. Perianth clothed in stellate hairs and yellowish glands, tube about 0.5 mm long, lobes about 2-4 mm long. About 5 or 6 glands about 1 mm long present outside the staminal filaments. Stamens numerous, about 40-60 per flower, each stamen about 2-3 mm long. Anthers greenish cream or yellowish, about 0.3 mm long. Female flowers: Inflorescence about 8 cm long, clothed in stellate hairs. Flowers about 5-6 mm diam, clothed in hairs and glands. Tepals about 2.5-3 mm long, outer surface densely clothed in brown stellate hairs, inner surface clothed in stellate hairs and globular yellow glands. Ovary about 2 mm long, densely clothed in stellate or clumped hairs plus a scattering of globular yellow glands. Style very short or absent. Stigmas fimbriate, each stigma about 2-5 mm long. Ovules 1 per locule.

Fruits 2-lobed, about 7 x 10 mm, outer surface densely clothed in short, simple and stellate hairs. Seeds globular, about 4-5 mm diam. Embryo about 2 mm long. Cotyledons much wider than but about the same length as the radicle.

Features not available.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ and in south-eastern Queensland but apparently absent from coastal central Queensland. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 750 m. Grows in lowland and upland rain forest. Also occurs in Asia and Malesia.

This species may have medicinal properties.

Croton repandus Rottler, Neu. Schr. naturf. Fr. Berlin 4: 206(1803), Type: India, Marmelon; Rottler s.n. = Wall. Numer. List 7774, in Herb. Wall. (IDC fiche no. 7394);Holo: LIV; Iso: K-W, L. Fide Sierra et al. 2005.