Family:
Euphorbiaceae Juss.

Jatropha L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Tropical & Subtropical America, Tropical & S. Africa, Madagascar, Comoros, Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka.

[FTEA]

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit
Monoecious or rarely dioecious trees, shrubs, subshrubs or herbs with the stems arising from a thick perennial rootstock
Morphology General Indumentum
Indumentum simple, sometimes glandular
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, crowded and fasciculate or laxly arranged, simple, generally palmatilobed, less commonly pinnatilobed or entire, petiolate or sessile, stipulate, the stipules usually multifid with setaceous segments, sometimes laciniate, sometimes rigid and spiny, and branched or not
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal or axillary, often corymbiform, dichotomously cymose, androgynous, protogynous, with a solitary ♀ flower terminating each major axis, lateral cymules ♂; bracts usually entire, sometimes glandular-fimbriate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers: sepals (4–)5(–6), often ± connate at the base, imbricate; petals 5, free or ± coherent and then simulating a gamopetalous corolla, imbricate or contorted, rarely 0, in which case the calyx petaloid; disc entire or composed of 5 free glands; stamens 6–10, rarely more, commonly arranged in 2 distinct whorls (commonly 5 + 3) with those of the outer whorl opposite the petals, filaments partially fused into a column, anthers longitudinally dehiscent, staminodes (when present) filiform; pistillode 0 Female flowers: sepals and petals ± as in the ♂ flowers; staminodes sometimes present; disc annular, 5-lobed or composed of free glands; ovary (1–)2–3(–5)-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles connate at the base, spreading, entire or shortly bifid
sex Male
Male flowers: sepals (4–)5(–6), often ± connate at the base, imbricate; petals 5, free or ± coherent and then simulating a gamopetalous corolla, imbricate or contorted, rarely 0, in which case the calyx petaloid; disc entire or composed of 5 free glands; stamens 6–10, rarely more, commonly arranged in 2 distinct whorls (commonly 5 + 3) with those of the outer whorl opposite the petals, filaments partially fused into a column, anthers longitudinally dehiscent, staminodes (when present) filiform; pistillode 0
sex Female
Female flowers: sepals and petals ± as in the ♂ flowers; staminodes sometimes present; disc annular, 5-lobed or composed of free glands; ovary (1–)2–3(–5)-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles connate at the base, spreading, entire or shortly bifid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit usually schizocarpic, ovoid or subglobose, dehiscing septicidally or loculicidally into 3 bivalved cocci, rarely subdrupaceous and ± indehiscent; endocarp crustaceous or indurated
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid or oblong, carunculate, the caruncle often much-divided, testa crustaceous, albumen fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Monoecious or rarely dioecious trees, shrubs or tuberous-rooted herbs, containing latex, with an indumentum of simple, sometimes glandular hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate or clustered on short shoots, simple, usually lobed; stipules present, sometimes modified to spines, branched or not
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences cymose with a female flower terminating each primary axis and lateral cymules of male flowers, or female flower inserted at the base of an otherwise male inflorescence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6–10, rarely more, often in 2 whorls of 5 + 3 with filaments fused into a column
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male but larger; staminodes sometimes present; disc entire, 5-lobed or of 5 free glands; ovary (1–)2–3(–5)-celled, with 1 ovule per cell; styles entire or bifid Male flowers: sepals (4–)5(–6), imbricate; petals 5, imbricate or contorted, rarely absent; disc entire or of 5 free glands
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dehiscing septicidally or loculicidally into 3 bivalved cocci, rarely subdrupaceous and ± indehiscent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds with caruncle.
Distribution
Some 175 species throughout the drier tropics and subtropics, extending into extratropical N America and S Africa. About 70 species in Africa with a notable centre of diversity in NE tropical Africa.

[FZ]

Euphorbiaceae, A. Radcliffe-Smith. Flora Zambesiaca 9:4. 1996

Morphology General Habit
Monoecious, rarely dioecious, trees shrubs subshrubs or herbs with the stems arising from a thick perennial rootstock.
Morphology General Indumentum
Indumentum simple and/or glandular.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, stipulate, petiolate or sessile, simple, entire, lobed or partitely divided, penninerved or palminerved.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules subulate, bifid or multifid, usually glandular.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petioles usually eglandular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal or subterminal, often corymbiform, cymose, androgynous, protogynous, a solitary female flower terminating each major axis, lateral cymules male; bracts entire or glandular-stipitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers: calyx usually 5-lobed, lobes imbricate; petals 5, free or sometimes laterally coherent, imbricate or contorted; disk usually of 5 free glands; stamens 8 (Flora Zambesiaca area), in 2 fused whorls (5 + 3), outer whorl opposite the petals, anthers dorsifixed, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode absent. Female flowers: calyx and petals more or less as in the male flowers; disk annular, 5-lobed, or sometimes of 5 free glands; staminodes (when present) filiform; ovary usually 3-locular, with 1 ovule per loculus; styles usually united at the base, erect or spreading, stigmas 3, usually bifid and somewhat tumid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit shallowly 3-lobed, dehiscing septicidally into 3 bivalved cocci, less often loculicidally into 3 valves, sometimes subdrupaceous, indehiscent; endocarp crustaceous or slightly woody; columella persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds usually shiny, carunculate, the caruncle usually bifid, fimbriate; testa crustaceous; albumen fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat.

Native to:

Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Aruba, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burkina, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Cayman Is., Central African Repu, Chad, Chile North, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Leeward Is., Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands Antilles, New Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Oman, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Socotra, Somalia, Southwest Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Texas, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is., Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Andaman Is., Assam, Bermuda, Borneo, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Caroline Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Fiji, Florida, Gabon, Galápagos, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hainan, Hawaii, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Malaya, Maluku, Marianas, Marquesas, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Philippines, Queensland, Samoa, Seychelles, Society Is., South China Sea, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Wallis-Futuna Is.

Jatropha L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Rocha, R. [1418], Brazil K001210053
Passos, L. [388], Brazil K001210052
Eiten, G. [10471], Brazil K001210054
Tschá, M.C. [749], Brazil K001210051

First published in Sp. Pl.: 1006 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Dehgan, B. (2012). Flora Neotropica, Monograph 110: 1-273.
  • Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Pax in Engl. Pflanzenr. Euph. 1: 21 (1910).
  • —F.T.A. 6, 1: 775

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 437 (1754).
  • Sp. Pl.: 1006 (1753), pro parte

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 1, (1993) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
  • Hemming & Radcliffe-Smith in Kew Bull. 42: 103–122 (1987).

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Dehgan & Webster, Univ. Cal. Publ., Bot. 74: 1–73, 33 pls. (1979)
  • G.P. 3(1): 290 (1880)
  • Hutch. in F.T.A. 6(1): 775 (1912)
  • L., Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 437 (1754)
  • Muell. Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 1076 (1866)
  • Pax in E.P. IV. 147(1): 21 (1910)
  • Sp. Pl.: 1006 (1753), pro parte,

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Neotropikey

    Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/