Aleurites moluccana moluccana
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Aleurites moluccana moluccana
COMMON NAME(S): Candlenut
SYNONYM(S):
FAMILY: EUPHORBIACEAE - Spurge family
ORIGIN: South Pacific
HABITAT: Cultivated landscapes
RANGE:
TYPE:
HEIGHT: To 50'
CHARACTERISTICS:
LEAVES: Alternate, up to 1' wide; simple, more or less heart-shaped: young leaves silvery-white, older dark green
FLOWERS: Separate male and female flowers on the same plant, white,showy
FLOWERING SEASON: Spring to summer
FRUITS: 2-3" long capsule, greenish-brown with 3-4, 1/2-1.5" long, round seeds
ALLERGENIC PRINCIPLES: Toxalbumin, saponin
ALLERGENIC PROPERTIES: Dermatological
COMMENTS: Various species of the genus Aleurites, introduced as oil sources during World War II, have caused a contact dermatitis. The seeds of the different species are variably toxic. See Vernicia fordii for the tung oil tree which is also known as Aleurites fordii in some books.
