| Hong Kong croton Croton hancei |
|
|---|---|
| Hong Kong Croton (flower) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Crotonoideae |
| Tribe: | Crotoneae |
| Genus: | Croton |
| Species: | C. hancei |
| Binomial name | |
| Croton hancei Benth. |
|
Croton hancei, the Hong Kong croton, is a species of Croton which is endemic to Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, it is a protected species under the Forestry Regulations Cap. 96A.
Croton hancei was discovered by H. F. Hance on Hong Kong Island in the 1850s and published by botanist George Bentham as a new species in Flora Hongkongensis in 1861. The species was not observed again until 21 February 1997, when staff of the Hong Kong Herbarium of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department found an "unknown" species on a steep slope woodland under the highest peak, Tsing Yi Peak, on Tsing Yi Island. After confirmation by experts from the South China Institute of Botany, the Hong Kong Croton was re-discovered after a gap of over a century.
The woodland measuring 1.05 hectares (2.6 acres) is considered to be a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for the protection of the endemic Hong Kong croton.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Croton_hancei Croton hancei] at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Croton hancei at Wikispecies