Flora of North America species comparison

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Jatropha gossypiifolia

bellyache bush
Habit Shrubs, to 3 m, monoecious.
Stems

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

latex viscous, colorless.
Leaves

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 2.5–10.5 cm;

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

1–2 mm.
Staminate flowers

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

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

caruncle prominent.
2n

= 22 (Mexico).

Jatropha gossypiifolia
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat Disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
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 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. 200.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha
Sibling taxa
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) — (as gossypifolia)
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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