Common name: Chukka, Devil's Goad • Hindi: चुक्का Chukka, पुत्री Putri • Marathi: Ganasura, Ghan surang, Gunsur • Tamil: Milgunari, Bhutankusam • Malayalam: Kattupatolam, Kotepotul • Telugu: Bhutala-bhairi, Bhutankusamu • Kannada: Bhootala bhairavi, Vumme marada gida, Bhootala bhairava • Bengali: Baragach • Oriya: Bhutankusha, Korraiya, Mahasindhu • Urdu: پتری Putri • Assamese: Mahunda • Gujarati: Ach, Aule • Sanskrit: हस्तिदंती Hastidanti, नागदंती Nagdanti, Putrasreni
Botanical name: Croton laevigatus Family: Euphorbiaceae (Castor family)
Synonyms: Croton roxburghii, Croton oblongifolius, Croton boragatch
Chukka is a small tree, growing up to 15 m tall. Older branches are
silvery gray. Leaves are clustered at the end of branches. Leaf stalks are
1-5 cm long. Leaves are elliptic, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 7-25 ×
3-9 cm, papery, underside with sparse stellate hairs, glaucous-gray when
dried. Upper surface is smooth. Leaf margins are nearly entire, with small
teeth near the tip. Male flowers are yellowish, like tiny balls covered
with 12-15 stamens. Capsules are obovoid or trigonous, about 10 × 8 mm,
densely hairy. Flowering: July-September.
| Photographed in Sundar Nursery, Delhi. |
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