Flora of North America species comparison

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Jatropha multifida

Jatropha cardiophylla

coral plant, coralbush, French physic or physic nut, yucca

heartleaf dragon's blood or limberbush, sangre de cristo
Habit Shrubs or trees, to 7 m, monoecious. Subshrubs, to 0.5–1 m, dioecious, rhizomatous, often forming large clumps.
Stems

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

latex viscous, cloudy-whitish.

erect or ascending, reddish brown, much-branched, rubbery-succulent, glabrous; short shoots common;

latex watery, colorless to cloudy-whitish in young shoots, blood red in basal portions of older shoots and rhizomes.
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.

deciduous, born profusely on long and short shoots in rainy season;

stipules absent;

petiole 1–2.5 cm, not stipitate-glandular;

blade widely ovate-deltate, 1.8–4.6 × 1.5–2.6 cm, unlobed, base truncate, margins sinuate to weakly serrate-crenate with glands on apices of crenations in younger leaves, 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.

axillary, cymes;

staminate with peduncle 0.8–3 cm, pistillate with peduncle absent;

bracts 1–1.5 mm, margins entire, or sometimes with glands, glabrous.
Pedicels

3.5–6 mm.

2–3 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.

sepals distinct, ovate to obovate, 2–2.5 × 0.8–1 mm, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces glabrous;

corolla light pink to white, tubular, petals connate to 3/4 length, 5–7.5 × 1.8–2.2 mm, surfaces glabrous;

stamens 10 in 2 whorls (5 + 5);

filaments of both whorls distinct, outer whorl 1 mm, inner whorl 2 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.

resembling staminate, but sepals obovate, 1–2.5 × 0.8–2 mm, apex rounded;

petals connate to 1/2 length, 6.5–9 × 1.8–2.7 mm;

carpel 1;

style 1 mm.
Capsules

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

spheric, apiculate, 1.1–1.8 × 1.1–1.8 cm, tardily dehiscent.
Seeds

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

caruncle rudimentary.

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

caruncle rudimentary.
2n

= 22 (Puerto Rico).

= 22.

Jatropha multifida

Jatropha cardiophylla
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round. Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat Disturbed sites. Gravelly desert washes and volcanic hillsides.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 600–1500 m. (2000–4900 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]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Jatropha cardiophylla and J. dioica often have been confused because of the similarity of their spreading rhizomatous habits and red rubbery branches during the dormant season. The two species are easily distinguished by their leaves. Furthermore, J. cardiophylla is restricted to the Sonoran Desert; J. dioica is found only in the Chihuahuan Desert and areas to the east.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 201. FNA vol. 12, p. 203.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha Euphorbiaceae > Jatropha
Sibling taxa
J. canescens, J. cardiophylla, J. cathartica, J. cuneata, J. curcas, J. dioica, J. gossypiifolia, J. integerrima, J. macrorhiza
J. canescens, J. cathartica, J. cuneata, J. curcas, J. dioica, J. gossypiifolia, J. integerrima, J. macrorhiza, J. multifida
Synonyms Mozinna cardiophylla
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1006. (1753) (Torrey) Müller Arg.: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 1079. (1866)
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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