Flora of North America species comparison

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Jatropha curcas

Jatropha multifida

Barbados nut, physic nut, piñón, purging nut

coral plant, coralbush, French physic or physic nut, yucca
Habit Trees, to 10[–15] m, monoecious. Shrubs or trees, to 7 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, yellow-brown, sparsely branched, woody-succulent, glabrous; short shoots absent;

latex viscous, cloudy-whitish.
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, mostly borne on or near branch tips;

stipules persistent, (3–)6–15(–25) mm, filiform-divided;

petiole 11–29 cm, not stipitate-glandular;

blade ovate-cordate in outline, 16–30 × 10–22 cm, deeply 9–11-lobed nearly to base, base rounded, margins incised, apex acuminate, membranous, surfaces glabrous;

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 12–30 cm;

bracts 2–4.5 mm, margins entire, glabrous.
Pedicels

1–3 mm.

3.5–6 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 connate to 1/2 length, ovate, 1.5–3 × 1–1.2 mm, margins entire, apex round, surfaces glabrous;

corolla orange-red, campanulate, petals distinct, 5–7 × 2.5–3 mm, surfaces glabrous;

stamens 8 in 1 whorl;

filaments distinct, 2.2–2.5 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 2–3.5 × 1.1–1.3 mm;

petals 6–8.2 × 2–3.2 mm;

carpels (1–)3;

styles distinct, 1–1.2 mm.
Capsules

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

ellipsoidal, winged, 3–3.4 × 2.7–2.9 cm, tardily dehiscent.
Seeds

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

caruncle rudimentary.

yellow to light brown, mottled with dark brown spots or stripes, spheric, 14–18 mm;

caruncle rudimentary.
2n

= 22 (Puerto Rico).

= 22 (Puerto Rico).

Jatropha curcas

Jatropha multifida
Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring (late summer–early fall). Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat Disturbed sites. Disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–50 m. [0–160 ft.] 0–50 m. [0–160 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; West Indies [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, Central America, South America, 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.)

The geographical origin of Jatropha multifida cannot be determined with certainty; it is probably native to the West Indies. The species is widely cultivated throughout the tropics as an ornamental and has escaped and naturalized in many areas, including central and southern Florida.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 202. Treatment author: Bijan Dehgan. FNA vol. 12, p. 201. Treatment author: Bijan Dehgan.
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. macrorhiza
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1006. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1006. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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