Flora of North America species comparison

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Jatropha multifida

Jatropha dioica

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

leatherstem, limberbush, sangre de drago, sangregado
Habit Shrubs or trees, to 7 m, monoecious. Subshrubs, to 1 m, dioecious, rhizomatous, often forming colonies.
Stems

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

latex viscous, cloudy-whitish.

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.
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, 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).
Inflorescences

bisexual, terminal and subterminal, cymes;

peduncle 12–30 cm;

bracts 2–4.5 mm, margins entire, glabrous.

terminal or axillary, fascicles;

peduncle absent;

bracts absent.
Pedicels

3.5–6 mm.

1–2.5 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 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.
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;

carpel 1;

style 2.5–3 mm.
Capsules

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

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

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

caruncle rudimentary.

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

caruncle rudimentary.
2n

= 22 (Puerto Rico).

= 44.

Jatropha multifida

Jatropha dioica
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]
from FNA
TX; n Mexico
[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.)

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.)
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. 201. FNA vol. 12, p. 204.
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. cardiophylla, J. cathartica, J. cuneata, J. curcas, J. gossypiifolia, J. integerrima, J. macrorhiza, J. multifida
Subordinate taxa
J. dioica var. dioica, J. dioica var. graminea
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1006. (1753) Sessé: Gaz. Lit. México 3(suppl.): 4. (1794)
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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