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leatherstem, limberbush, sangre de drago, sangregado

Berlandier's nettlespurge

Habit Subshrubs, to 1 m, dioecious, rhizomatous, often forming colonies. Herbs, perennial, to 0.3 m, monoecious, with woody subterranean caudex to 13.5 cm diam., stem and root scars crescent-shaped.
Stems

spreading, reddish brown (when actively growing) or red to dark red or grayish (when dormant), much-branched, rubbery-succulent, glabrous; short shoots common;

latex watery, colorless to cloudy-whitish in fast growing shoots, blood red in basal portion of older shoots and rhizomes.

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

latex watery, cloudy-whitish.

Leaves

deciduous, fascicled on short shoots;

stipules deciduous, linear, 1–2 mm, undivided;

petiole 0–0.2 cm, not stipitate-glandular;

blade linear-spatulate to narrowly obovate, 1.5–5(–7) × 0.2–0.7 cm, usually unlobed, sometimes shallowly, rarely deeply, 3-lobed, base attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded, membranous, surfaces glabrous;

venation pinnate (palmate if lobed).

± 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

terminal or axillary, fascicles;

peduncle absent;

bracts absent.

bisexual, terminal and subterminal, cymes;

peduncle 7.5–11 cm;

bracts 3–10 mm, margins entire, glabrous.

Pedicels

1–2.5 mm.

9–13 mm.

Staminate flowers

sepals distinct or connate basally, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5–3 × 1.2–1.4 mm, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface hairy, adaxial glabrous;

corolla white to pinkish white, urceolate-tubular, petals connate most of length, 5–6 × 1.4–1.5 mm, abaxial surface sparsely puberulent abaxially, adaxial glabrous;

stamens 10 in 2 whorls (5 + 5);

filaments of both whorls connate from 1/5–3/4+ length, outer whorl 2–3 mm, inner whorl 3–5 mm.

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;

carpel 1;

style 2.5–3 mm.

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

ellipsoidal, 1.2–1.4 × 1.1–1.3 cm, tardily dehiscent.

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

Seeds

solid gray-brown, spheric, 12 mm diam.;

caruncle rudimentary.

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

caruncle prominent.

2n

= 44.

= 22.

Jatropha dioica

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; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

R. McVaugh (1945b) recognized two varieties in Jatropha dioica based primarily on leaf shape; the two are not readily recognizable and probably hybridization between them has resulted in intermediate populations, as McVaugh noted. The varieties are treated here with some reservation.

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

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.)

Key
1. Leaf blades oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, 3.5–5(–7) cm; sepals distinct; stamen filaments connate 3/4+ length; petals pinkish white.
var. dioica
1. Leaf blades linear-spatulate, 1.5–2.5 cm; sepals connate basally; stamen filaments connate to 1/4 length; petals white.
var. graminea
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 204. FNA vol. 12, p. 200.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha
Sibling taxa
J. canescens, J. cardiophylla, J. cathartica, J. cuneata, J. curcas, J. gossypiifolia, J. integerrima, J. macrorhiza, J. multifida
J. canescens, J. cardiophylla, J. cuneata, J. curcas, J. dioica, J. gossypiifolia, J. integerrima, J. macrorhiza, J. multifida
Subordinate taxa
J. dioica var. dioica, J. dioica var. graminea
Synonyms J. berlandieri
Name authority Sessé: Gaz. Lit. México 3(suppl.): 4. (1794) Terán & Berlandier: in J. L. Berlandier, Mem. Comis. Limites, 9. (1832)
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