The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Berlandier's nettlespurge

Habit Herbs, perennial, to 0.3 m, monoecious, with woody subterranean caudex to 13.5 cm diam., stem and root scars crescent-shaped.
Stems

erect, green, sparsely branched, herbaceous, somewhat succulent, glabrous; short shoots absent;

latex watery, cloudy-whitish.

Leaves

± evenly distributed on long shoots;

stipules persistent, 2–3 mm, deeply divided into linear-lanceolate segments;

petiole 6–10 cm, not stipitate-glandular;

blade cordate in outline, 6–11 × 3.5–6 cm, deeply 5–7-lobed nearly to base, segments deeply lobed, base cordate, margins coarsely dentate, apex acuminate, membranous, surfaces glabrous;

venation palmate.

Inflorescences

bisexual, terminal and subterminal, cymes;

peduncle 7.5–11 cm;

bracts 3–10 mm, margins entire, glabrous.

Pedicels

9–13 mm.

Staminate flowers

sepals connate 1/2 length, ovate, 2–2.5 × 1–1.2 mm, margins usually entire, rarely 1–2-lobed, apex acute, surfaces glabrous;

corolla deep red, rotate-campanulate, petals distinct, 7–10 × 2–3 mm, surfaces glabrous;

stamens 8 in 2 whorls (5 + 3);

filaments of each whorl appearing connate 1/2 length at anthesis, distinct at maturity, both whorls 2.5–3 mm.

Pistillate flowers

resembling staminate, but sepals distinct, lanceolate, 2.5–3.5 × 0.8–1 mm;

corolla rotate, petals 7–9 × 2.5–2.8 mm;

carpels 3;

styles connate to 3/4 length, 0.5–1.5 mm.

Capsules

spheric, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 cm, explosively dehiscent.

Seeds

brown with darker markings, ellipsoidal, 9–13 × 5–7 mm;

caruncle prominent.

2n

= 22.

Jatropha cathartica

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat Grassy clay-rocky and saline flats.
Elevation 1000–2500 m. (3300–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Jatropha cathartica is attractive and is threatened by extensive collecting by growers and collectors of succulent plants. In the flora area, the species is known from south Texas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 200.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha
Sibling taxa
J. canescens, J. cardiophylla, J. cuneata, J. curcas, J. dioica, J. gossypiifolia, J. integerrima, J. macrorhiza, J. multifida
Synonyms J. berlandieri
Name authority Terán & Berlandier: in J. L. Berlandier, Mem. Comis. Limites, 9. (1832)
Web links