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Barbados nut, physic nut, piñón, purging nut

bahada, jicamilla, jirawilla, ragged jatropha, ragged nettlespurge

Habit Trees, to 10[–15] m, monoecious. Herbs, perennial, to 0.5 m, monoecious, with ± fleshy subterranean caudex to 11 cm diam., stem and root scars round.
Stems

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

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

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

latex watery, 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.

± evenly distributed on long shoots;

stipules persistent, 4–10 mm, filiform-divided;

petiole 4.8–10.5(–13.5) cm, not stipitate-glandular;

blade cordate in outline, 11–16 × 9.3–11.2 cm, (3–)5–7(–9)-lobed to middle, base cordate, margins coarsely dentate, apex acuminate, membranous, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial glabrous, except puberulent on veins, margins sometimes puberulent or with setae;

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 1.5–4.5 cm;

bracts (6–)8–16 mm, margins serrate, glabrous.

Pedicels

1–3 mm.

2.5–4 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 1/2 length, lanceolate, 5–7 × 1–2 mm, margins deeply divided, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

corolla light pink, often with white striations, rotate, petals distinct or connate 1/4 length, 8–11.5 × 2.5–4.5 mm, surfaces glabrous;

stamens 8(–9) in 2 whorls (5 + 3);

filaments of outer whorl distinct, of inner whorl connate to 1/2 length, outer whorl 3.5–6 mm, inner whorl 4.5–9 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 slightly larger;

carpels 3;

styles distinct or connate only at base, 3.5–4 mm.

Capsules

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

± spheric, 1.2–1.3 × 1.2–1.3 cm, distinctly 3-lobed, explosively dehiscent.

Seeds

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

caruncle rudimentary.

pale gray, ellipsoidal, 8–9 × 6–6.5 mm;

caruncle prominent.

2n

= 22 (Puerto Rico).

= 22.

Jatropha curcas

Jatropha macrorhiza

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring (late summer–early fall). Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat Disturbed sites. Hillsides, mesas, sandy washes.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 1000–2600 m. (3300–8500 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
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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 macrorhiza is known in Texas only from a single collection made in Presidio County in 1938; it is common in nearby Chihuahua and appears to be native to trans-Pecos Texas, but may now be extirpated there.

Plants from the United States often have been called var. septemfida, named in reference to having seven (as opposed to five) leaf lobes or segments. However, leaf segment number varies, even on the same plant, from four to nine (usually five to seven). Hence, a distinct variety cannot be recognized. R. McVaugh (1945) reported this species to have ten stamens; I have not seen any live or herbarium specimens with ten; two collections have recorded nine.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 202. FNA vol. 12, p. 201.
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. gossypiifolia, J. integerrima, J. multifida
Synonyms J. arizonica, J. macrorhiza var. septemfida
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1006. (1753) Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 8. (1839)
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