About Excoecaria cochinchinensis Lour.
Excoecaria cochinchinensis Lour. is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. Its common names include Chinese croton, blindness tree, buta buta, and jungle fire plant. This species is native to Southeast China, Hainan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is a subtropical evergreen shrub with a woody stem that reaches 1 to 2 meters (3.3 to 6.6 feet) in height. Its leaves grow in opposite arrangements, with a shiny papery texture. The upper surface of the leaves is dark green or variegated, while the underside is deep maroon, and leaves measure 6 to 14 cm long by 2 to 4 cm wide (2.4 to 5.5 inches by 0.8 to 1.6 inches). Excoecaria cochinchinensis is dioecious. It is cultivated as an ornamental tropical plant, greenhouse plant, or houseplant. A popular colorful cultivar of this species is "Firestorm."
