Jatropha cathartica |
Jatropha curcas |
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Berlandier's nettlespurge |
Barbados nut, physic nut, piñón, purging nut |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, to 0.3 m, monoecious, with woody subterranean caudex to 13.5 cm diam., stem and root scars crescent-shaped. | Trees, to 10[–15] m, monoecious. |
Stems | erect, green, sparsely branched, herbaceous, somewhat succulent, glabrous; short shoots absent; latex watery, cloudy-whitish. |
erect, gray-green, much-branched, woody-succulent, glabrous; short shoots absent; latex watery, colorless in younger branches, cloudy-whitish in older shoots. |
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. |
persistent, ± evenly distributed on long shoots; stipules caducous, narrowly lanceolate, 5 mm, undivided; petiole 9–19 cm, not stipitate-glandular; blade round in outline, 9–15 × 9–15 cm, usually shallowly 3–5-lobed, rarely unlobed, base cordate, margins entire or glandular (young leaves), 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. |
bisexual, terminal and subterminal, cymes; peduncle 5–10 cm; bracts 3–10 mm, margins entire, glabrous. |
Pedicels | 9–13 mm. |
1–3 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. |
sepals distinct, ovate-elliptic, 4–6 × 2–3 mm, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces glabrous; corolla greenish yellow, campanulate, petals distinct or connate 1/4 length, 6–8 × 2–3.5 mm, glabrous abaxially, tomentose adaxially; stamens 10, ± in 2 whorls (5 + 5); filaments of both whorl connate to top or nearly so, outer whorl 3–4.5 mm, inner whorl 3–5 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. |
resembling staminate, but sepals connate to 1/2 length, 5–7.5 × 2–5 mm; petals 4–5 × 2–2.5(–3) mm; staminodes infrequent; carpels 3; styles connate most of length, 0.5–1.5 mm. |
Capsules | spheric, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 cm, explosively dehiscent. |
ellipsoidal, 2.6–3 × 2.2–2.8 cm, drupaceous. |
Seeds | brown with darker markings, ellipsoidal, 9–13 × 5–7 mm; caruncle prominent. |
black or black mottled with white spots, ellipsoidal, 18–20 × 11–13 mm; caruncle rudimentary. |
2n | = 22. |
= 22 (Puerto Rico). |
Jatropha cathartica |
Jatropha curcas |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. | Flowering and fruiting spring (late summer–early fall). |
Habitat | Grassy clay-rocky and saline flats. | Disturbed sites. |
Elevation | 1000–2500 m. (3300–8200 ft.) | 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) |
Distribution |
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas) |
FL; Mexico; Central America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, South America, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
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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.) |
Jatropha curcas now has a circumtropical distribution but probably originated in Central America; it is naturalized in southern Florida. The latex of J. curcas is used for soap making and for medicinal purposes; the seeds are used for biofuel production. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 200. | FNA vol. 12, p. 202. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | J. berlandieri | |
Name authority | Terán & Berlandier: in J. L. Berlandier, Mem. Comis. Limites, 9. (1832) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1006. (1753) |
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