Subtribe Rottlerinae | Scientific name Mallotus Rank Genus | |
 | ||
Similar Euphorbiaceae, Mallotus philippensis, Mallotus japonicus, Mallotus paniculatus, Macaranga | ||
Mallotus is a genus of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1790. Two species (M. oppositifolius and M. subulatus) are found in tropical Africa and Madagascar. All the other species are found in East, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, eastern Australia, and certain islands of the western Pacific.
Contents
Fossil record
Mallotus macrofossils have been recovered from the late Zanclean stage of Pliocene sites in Pocapaglia, Italy.
Uses
Mallotus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaricus. The Kamala tree (Mallotus philippensis) has hairs of whose seed capsule which are the source of a yellow dye (kamala dye) and (formerly) herbal remedy.
Formerly included
moved to other genera (Acalypha Aleurites Blumeodendron Chondrostylis Cleidion Croton Discocleidion Endospermum Hancea Lasiococca Macaranga Melanolepis Neoboutonia Plukenetia Ptychopyxis Rockinghamia Spathiostemon Sumbaviopsis )
