Croton sylvaticus is a tree in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is commonly known as the forest fever-berry. These trees are distributed in forests from the east coast of South Africa to Tropical Africa. It grows 7–13 m in height, occasionally up to 30 m, in moist forests, thickets and forest edges at altitudes of 350–1800 m.

Flowers and fruit

Greenish cream flowers, up to 3 mm long (all male or female or mixed flowers), in racemes, 10–30 cm long. Fruit, light green when young, turning to orange or red, trilobed, oval in shape, hairy.

Uses

Used as a general timber, for poles, posts and as a fuel.

Phytochemistry

Mwangi et al 1998 find β-caryophyllene oxide, α-humulene-1,2-epoxide, hardwickiic acid, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol in the extracts. This contrasts with Sadgrove et al 2019 who find almost entirely bicyclogermacrene in the essential oil.

Traditional medicine

Sap from leaves is used for healing cuts, bark is used in the treatment of malaria, a decoction from the bark of the roots is taken orally as a remedy for tuberculosis, an infusion of the leaves acts as a purgative.

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