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Barbados nut, physic nut, piñón, purging nut

bellyache bush

Habit Trees, to 10[–15] m, monoecious. Shrubs, to 3 m, monoecious.
Stems

erect, gray-green, much-branched, woody-succulent, glabrous; short shoots absent;

latex watery, colorless in younger branches, cloudy-whitish in older shoots.

erect, brown, sparsely to much-branched, woody-succulent, hirsute, glandular when young; short shoots absent;

latex viscous, colorless.

Leaves

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.

persistent or drought-deciduous, ± evenly distributed on long shoots;

stipules persistent, 2.5–12 mm, filiform-divided, each segment ending in stipitate gland;

petiole 3–14.5 cm, stipitate-glandular;

blade cordate to ovate in outline, 4–18.2 × 4.2–13.4 cm, 3–5-lobed, base cordate, margins usually serrulate-denticulate or glandular-ciliate, rarely entire, apex acuminate, membranous, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy especially on veins;

venation palmate.

Inflorescences

bisexual, terminal and subterminal, cymes;

peduncle 5–10 cm;

bracts 3–10 mm, margins entire, glabrous.

bisexual, terminal and subterminal, cymes;

peduncle 2.5–10.5 cm;

bracts 6–16 mm, margins entire, glandular-ciliate.

Pedicels

1–3 mm.

1–2 mm.

Staminate flowers

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.

sepals distinct or connate to 1/4 length, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.2–2.5 × 2.5–4 mm, margins entire, apex round, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy, glandular-ciliate;

corolla orange-red to purple, sometimes with lighter center, campanulate, petals connate 1/4–1/2 length, 3.5–5.5 × 1.8–3 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy on 1 or both surfaces;

stamens 8 in 2 whorls (5 + 3);

filaments of each whorl connate 1/4–1/2+ length, outer whorl 1.4–3 mm, inner whorl 1.8–4 mm.

Pistillate flowers

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.

resembling staminate, but sepals 2.5–4 × 1–1.7 mm;

petals 4–6.5 × 2–3.5 cm;

staminodes sometimes present;

carpels 3;

styles connate to 1/4 length, 1–2 mm.

Capsules

ellipsoidal, 2.6–3 × 2.2–2.8 cm, drupaceous.

ellipsoidal, 1–1.2 × 0.8–1 cm, explosively dehiscent.

Seeds

black or black mottled with white spots, ellipsoidal, 18–20 × 11–13 mm;

caruncle rudimentary.

gray-brown mottled with dark brown spots, ovoid, 6.5–7 × 3.8–4.5 mm;

caruncle prominent.

2n

= 22 (Puerto Rico).

= 22 (Mexico).

Jatropha curcas

Jatropha gossypiifolia

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring (late summer–early fall). Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat Disturbed sites. Disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; Mexico; Central America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, South America, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Jatropha gossypiifolia is native to tropical America and has been introduced throughout the tropics, including southern Florida, and in some regions it is invasive; it is widely cultivated for medicinal and landscape purposes. It is a complex species with more than 40 described varieties, subspecies, and forms, some of which are sometimes considered distinct species.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 202. FNA vol. 12, p. 200.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha
Sibling taxa
J. canescens, J. cardiophylla, J. cathartica, J. cuneata, J. dioica, J. gossypiifolia, J. integerrima, J. macrorhiza, J. multifida
J. canescens, J. cardiophylla, J. cathartica, J. cuneata, J. curcas, J. dioica, J. integerrima, J. macrorhiza, J. multifida
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1006. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1006. (1753) — (as gossypifolia)
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