Jatropha canescens
Jatropha dioica
Arizona nettlespurge, sangre de drago
leatherstem, limberbush, sangre de drago, sangregado
erect, grayish white, branched from base, woody-succulent, canescent; short shoots common;
latex watery, cloudy-whitish.
spreading, reddish brown (when actively growing) or red to dark red or grayish (when dormant), much-branched, rubbery-succulent, glabrous; short shoots common;
latex watery, colorless to cloudy-whitish in fast growing shoots, blood red in basal portion of older shoots and rhizomes.
deciduous, mostly ± evenly distributed on long shoots, few on short shoots;
stipules absent;
petiole 1.3–3 cm, not stipitate-glandular;
blade cordate to broadly ovate, 2.2–3.5 × 1.6–3 cm, unlobed or shallowly 3-lobed, base truncate-cordate, margins entire, apex rounded, ± coriaceous, abaxial surface canescent, adaxial surface sparingly hairy;
venation pinnate (palmate if lobed).
deciduous, fascicled on short shoots;
stipules deciduous, linear, 1–2 mm, undivided;
petiole 0–0.2 cm, not stipitate-glandular;
blade linear-spatulate to narrowly obovate, 1.5–5(–7) × 0.2–0.7 cm, usually unlobed, sometimes shallowly, rarely deeply, 3-lobed, base attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded, membranous, surfaces glabrous;
venation pinnate (palmate if lobed).
terminal on branches or on short shoots, staminate cymes, pistillate fascicles, or flowers solitary;
peduncle 1–2.6 cm;
bracts 1–2.5 mm, margins entire, sparsely hairy.
terminal or axillary, fascicles;
peduncle absent;
bracts absent.
2–3 mm.
1–2.5 mm.
sepals connate to 1/4 length, lanceolate, 2–2.5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, margins entire, apex acute, canescent abaxially, glabrous or sparingly hairy adaxially;
corolla grayish white, sometimes pinkish abaxially, subglobose-urceolate, petals connate 3/4–4/5 length, 5–8 × 1–2 mm, surfaces sparingly hairy;
stamens 10 in 2 whorls (5 + 5);
filaments of outer whorl connate 1/2 length, of inner whorl connate 1/4 length, outer whorl 2–3 mm, whorl series 4–5 mm.
sepals distinct or connate basally, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5–3 × 1.2–1.4 mm, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface hairy, adaxial glabrous;
corolla white to pinkish white, urceolate-tubular, petals connate most of length, 5–6 × 1.4–1.5 mm, abaxial surface sparsely puberulent abaxially, adaxial glabrous;
stamens 10 in 2 whorls (5 + 5);
filaments of both whorls connate from 1/5–3/4+ length, outer whorl 2–3 mm, inner whorl 3–5 mm.
resembling staminate, but sepals connate only at base, 3–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm;
petals connate 1/2–3/4 length, 8–11 × 3–5 mm;
carpels 2[–3];
styles connate 3/4 their lengths, 2–5 mm.
resembling staminate;
carpel 1;
style 2.5–3 mm.
compressed ellipsoidal, 1.2–1.5 × 2–2.5 cm, 2-lobed [ellipsoidal, 3-lobed], tardily dehiscent.
ellipsoidal, 1.2–1.4 × 1.1–1.3 cm, tardily dehiscent.
solid brown, subspheric, 9–12 mm;
caruncle absent.
solid gray-brown, spheric, 12 mm diam.;
caruncle rudimentary.
= 22 (Mexico).
= 44.
Jatropha canescens
Jatropha dioica
In Arizona, Jatropha canescens is found only in Pima County, primarily in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
Jatropha canescens is part of a hybrid complex that includes the Mexican species J. cinerea (Ortega) Müller Arg. and, probably, J. giffordiana Dehgan & G. L. Webster. These can be difficult to distinguish. R. McVaugh (1945) suggested considering J. canescens as a synonym of J. cinerea, and F. Shreve and I. L. Wiggins (1964), as well as others, have done so. Jatropha canescens may be distinguished from J. cinerea and J. giffordiana most reliably by its crowded inflorescences of staminate flowers with smaller subglobose (as opposed to urceolate) whitish gray corollas (sometimes with some red or pink on the adaxial surface) as opposed to larger darker red corollas of J. cinerea and J. giffordiana. In addition, J. canescens generally has more numerous, longer and darker colored short shoots, and smaller and less often shallowly 3-lobed leaves. Although J. cinerea (in the strict sense) does not occur in northern Sonora, it is one of the more common plants in Baja California, Baja California Sur, and western mainland Mexico.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
R. McVaugh (1945b) recognized two varieties in Jatropha dioica based primarily on leaf shape; the two are not readily recognizable and probably hybridization between them has resulted in intermediate populations, as McVaugh noted. The varieties are treated here with some reservation.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaf blades oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, 3.5–5(–7) cm; sepals distinct; stamen filaments connate 3/4+ length; petals pinkish white. | var. dioica |
1. Leaf blades linear-spatulate, 1.5–2.5 cm; sepals connate basally; stamen filaments connate to 1/4 length; petals white. | var. graminea |
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