Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans)

Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans) is species in Euphorbiaceae, a tropical tree, growing up to 60 meters tall and with a trunk circumference of up to 13.2 meters, the trunk is covered with long and sharp thorns and exudes a poisonous sap.

H. crepitans has large, oval leaves, 15 cm wide and 20 cm long. The petioles are 22 cm long. The flowers are red and lack petals. Male flowers grow on long stalks, while female flowers grow singly in leaf axils.



The fruit is a large, flask-shaped capsule, up to 10 cm in diameter, with 12-16 radially arranged carpels. The seeds are flat and about 2 cm in diameter. The capsule bursts when ripe, dividing into segments and ejecting the seeds at a speed of 70 m/s, a distance of 30-100 meters.

This tree prefers moist soil and partial shade or partial to full sun, a warm, humid environment. It is often cultivated for shade.

The wood is light and used to make canoes. The sap is used to poison fish.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Hura L. in Sp. Pl.: 1008 (1753)
Species: Hura crepitans L. in Sp. Pl.: 1008 (1753)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Hura crepitans var. genuina Müll.Arg. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 1229 (1866), not validly publ.

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Hura brasiliensis Willd. in Enum. Pl. Hort. Berol.: 997 (1809)
Hura crepitans var. membranacea Müll.Arg. (1866)
Hura crepitans var. oblongifolia Müll.Arg. (1866)
Hura crepitans f. oblongifolia Müll.Arg. (1866)
Hura crepitans var. orbicularis Müll.Arg. (1866)
Hura crepitans f. orbicularis Müll.Arg. (1866)
Hura crepitans var. ovata Müll.Arg. (1866)
Hura crepitans f. ovata Müll.Arg. (1866)
Hura crepitans var. senegalensis (Baill.) Boiss. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 1230 (1866)
Hura crepitans var. strepens Müll.Arg. (1866)
Hura senegalensis Baill. in Recueil Observ. Bot. 1: 77 (1860)
Hura strepens Willd. (1809)

PUBLICATIONS

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.

Aung, Y.L., Aung, M.H., Tan, Y. & Jin, X. (2025). An updated checklist of vascular plants of Myanmar. PhytoKeys 261: 135-364.

Balakrishnan, N.P. & Chakrabarty, T. (2007). The family Euphorbiaceae in India. A synopsis of its profile, taxonomy and bibliography: 1-500. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun.

Catarino, L., Sampaio Martins, E., Pinto-Basto, M.F. & Diniz, M.A. (2006). Plantas Vasculares e Briófitos da Guiné-Bissau: 1-298. Instituto de investigação científica tropical, Instituto Português de apoio ao desenvolvimento.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2016). Flora of North America North of Mexico 12: 1-603. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Gosline, G., Bidault, E., van der Burgt, X., Cahen, D., Challen, G., Condé, N., Couch, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Dagallier, L.M.J., Darbyshire, I., Dawson, S., Doré, T.S., Goyder, D., Grall, A., Haba, P., Haba, P., Harris, D., Hind, D.J.N., Jongkind, & al. (2023). A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea. Nature, scientific data 10, Article number: 327: [1]-[12].

Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Harris, D.J. (2002). The vascular plants of the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve, Central African Republic: 1-274. National Botanic Garden (Belgium), Meise.

Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., Ortiz, R.D.C., Callejas Posada, R. & Merello, M. (eds.) (2011). Flora de Antioquia: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares 2: 1-939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín.

Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo). Taxonomania. Revue de Taxonomie et de Nomenclature Botaniques 30: 1-307.

Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée. Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.

Molino, J.-F., Sabatier, D., Grenand, P., Engel, J., Frame, D., Delprete, P.G., Fleury, M., Odonne, G., Davy, D., Lucas, E.J. & Martin, C.A. (2022). An annotated checklist of the tree species of French Guiana, including vernacular nomenclature. Adansonia, sér. 3, 44: 345-903.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Stevens, W.D., Ulloa U., C., Pool, A. & Montiel, O.M. (2001). Flora de Nicaragua. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 85: i-xlii, 1-2666. Missouri Botanical Garden.

de Oliveira, L. dos S.D., da Silva, M.J. & de Sales, M.F. (2013). Synopsis of the tribe Hureae (Euphorbioideae, Euphorbiaceae). Brittonia 65: 310-329.

van Welzen, P.C. & Chayamarit, K. (2007). Flora of Thailand 8(2): 305-592. The Forest Herbarium, National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok.

VERNACULAR NAME

Afrikaans: Sandstrooierboom
Bengali: চাকা গাছ Cākā gācha
Burmese: ဘီးသစ်ပင်
Chinese (simplified): 响盒子 - 沙盒树
Chinese (traditional): 沙盒樹
Czech: Hura chřestivá
Dutch: Zandkokerboom
English: Sandbox tree, Dynamite tree, Monkey-no-climb
Filipino: Puno ng gulong
Finnish: Lauttahurapuu
French: Sablier, Arbre au diable
German: Sandbüchsenbaum
Hindi: पहिया पेड़ Pahiya ped
Indonesian: Roda, Kalpataru, Huru, Kemiri cina, Buta-buta
Japanese: サルノトウナス - 砂箱の木
Java: Kuku macan
Kannada: Retidaani, Retidani
Khmer: ដើមឈើកង់
Lao: ຕົ້ນໄມ້ລໍ້
Malaysia: Pokok roda
Nepal: पाङ्ग्राको रूख Pāṅgrākō rūkha
Portuguese: Aceira, Acaçu, Açacu, Assacu, Assacuzeiro, Ussacu, Assacú
Russian: Хура трескающаяся
Sinhala: රෝද ගස Rōda gasa
Slovak: Hura rachotivá
Spanish: Acuapa, Javillo, Jabilla, Salvadera, Arenillo
Sunda: Ki Kasymir, Ki Semir
Tamil: சக்கர மரம் Cakkara maram
Telugu: Seema buruga
Thai: โพศรี
Vietnam: Cây bánh xe

Aryo Bandoro
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