Flora of North America species comparison

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Jatropha multifida

coral plant, coralbush, French physic or physic nut, yucca
Habit Shrubs or trees, to 7 m, monoecious.
Stems

erect, yellow-brown, sparsely branched, woody-succulent, glabrous; short shoots absent;

latex viscous, cloudy-whitish.
Leaves

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 12–30 cm;

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

3.5–6 mm.
Staminate flowers

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

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

caruncle rudimentary.
2n

= 22 (Puerto Rico).

Jatropha multifida
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat Disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
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

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. 201.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha
Sibling taxa
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)
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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