Croton catatii Baill., Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris 2: 851. 1890, as 'catati'

Berry, Paul E., Kainulainen, Kent & Ee, Benjamin W. van, 2017, A Nomenclator of Croton (Euphorbiaceae) in Madagascar, the Comoros Archipelago, and the Mascarene Islands, PhytoKeys 90, pp. 1-87 : 22-23

35. Croton catatii Baill., Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris 2: 851. 1890, as 'catati'

Croton hilaris Baill., Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris 2: 927. 1891. Type. Madagascar. Prov. Toliara: Fort-Dauphin, G.F. Scott-Elliot 2650 (holotype: P [P00131522]!; isotype: K [K001040342]!).

Croton ranohirae Leandri, Adansonia, sér. 2, 9: 502. 1970, syn. nov. Type. Madagascar. Prov. Toliara: Plateaux et vallées de l’Isalo à l’Ouest de Ranohira, 900 m, 2 Nov-4 Dec 1946, H. Humbert 19591 (lectotype, designated here: P [P00312378]!; isolectotypes: K [K000422598]!, K [K000422599]!, P [P00389515]!, P [P00389516]!).

Croton boinensis var. tomentosus Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Croton Madag. Comoro 78. 2016, syn. nov. Type. Madagascar. "NW Madagascar", sin. loc. cert., recd. Sep 1887, R. Baron 5477 (holotype: K!).

Croton catatii var. setosus Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Croton Madag. Comoro 45. 2016, syn. nov. Type. Madagascar. Prov. Antsiranana: Forêt de Sahafary, S/P de Diego Suarez, 2 Dec 1970, M. Debray 1554 (holotype: P [P00154364]!).

Croton catatii var. tricholepis Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Croton Madag. Comoro 45. 2016, syn. nov. Type. Madagascar. Prov. Toliara: bassin de réception de la Mananara, affluent du Mandrare, entre l’Andohahela et l’Elakelaka, près de Mahamavo, Jan-Feb 1934, H. Humbert 13876 (holotype: K!; isotypes: P [P00127556!, P00127557!, P00127558]!).

Croton elaeagni var. chrysocarpos Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Croton Madag. Comoro 91. 2016, syn. nov. Type. Madagascar. Prov. Toliara: Monte Isalo, in nemore Zombitsy, 800 m, 7 Nov 1967, L. Bernardi 11281 (holotype: K!; isotypes: G!, P [P00154383]!).

Croton greveanus var. micraster Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Croton Madag. Comoro 41. 2016, syn. nov. Type. Madagascar. Prov. Antananarivo: Ambatotsipihina , Tsinjoarivo, 21 Nov 1949, Service Forestier 1041 - SF (holotype: P [P00133806]!).

Type.

Madagascar. Prov. Toamasina: Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Didy , 14 Aug 1889, L.D.M. Catat 1819 (holotype: P [P00131523]!) .

Habit and distribution.

Shrubs to normally trees; widespread in forested areas of Madagascar (Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara).

Notes.

In this circumscription, Croton catatii is a variable but distinctive species. It is usually a tree and typically occurs in montane habitats, but in the drier areas of Isalo and Zombitse area in Fianarantsoa and Toliara Provinces, it can be shrubby, and plants there have more verrucose fruits than elsewhere. Although plants of C. catatii are typically finely lepidote, plants such as what was desribed as C. catatii var. setosus from Sahafary in Antsiranana Province can be softly pubescent, with trichomes having long-protruding central rays.