Jatropha gossypiifolia

van Welzen, P. C., Sweet, F. S. T. & Fernández-Casas, F. J., 2017, A revision of Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae) in Malesia, Blumea 62 (1), pp. 58-74 : 63-65

2. Jatropha gossypiifolia L. ― Fig. 1e–l , 3 ; Map 2

Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (1753) 1006 (‘ gossypifolia ’); Müll.Arg. (1866) 1086; Hook.f.(1887) 383 (‘ gossypifolia ’); Pax (1910) 26;Merr.(1923) 449;Gagnep (1926) 326; McVaugh (1945) 281, f. 13,18; Corner (1951) 260, text-fig.83; Backer & Bakh.f.(1963) 494; Airy Shaw (1972) 283; (1975) 137; (1982) 25; Radcl.-Sm. (1987) 354; Philcox (1997) 83; Chantharaprasong & Welzen (2007) 346, f. 11E–L; Fern. Casas (2016) 18, f. 5-8, map 2. ― Manihot gossypiifolia (L.) Crantz (1766) 167 (‘ gossypifolia ’). ― Adenoropium gossypiifolium (L.) Pohl (1827) 16 (‘gossypifolium ’). ― Conserved type ( Wiersema et al. 2015: 395): Linnean Herbarium no. 1141.1 (LINN).

Jatropha staphysagriifolia Mill. (1768) under Jatropha , no. 9 (‘ staphysagrifolia ’). ― Jatropha gossypiifolia L. var. staphysagriifolia (Mill.) Müll.Arg. (1866) 1087 (‘ staphysagriaefolia ’), nom. illeg. (autonym rule). ― Type: Not indicated.

Adenoropium elegans Pohl (1827) 15. ― Jatropha elegans (Pohl) Klotzsch (1853) 102. ― Jatropha gossypiifolia L. var. elegans (Pohl) Müll.Arg. (1866) 1087; Pax (1910) 26; Backer & Bakh.f. (1963) 494; Philcox (1997) 83. ― Type: Von Martius s.n. (holo M; iso L, barcode L 0034540), Brasilia, Villam dos Ilhéos, Capitaniae Bahiae.

Adenoropium jacquinii Pohl (1827) 15. ― Jatropha jacquinii (Pohl) Baill. (1864) 268. ― Type: Not indicated.

Jatropha glandulifera auct. non Roxb.: Kurz (1877) 403.

See www.ipni.org or www.theplantlist.org for more infraspecific names synonymous with var. gossypiifolia .

(Herbs to) shrubs to treelets, at least up to 5 m high, up to 12 cm diam, branching, succulent; flowering branches 1.5–8 mm diam, round, with branching glandular hairs, especially when young, often dark maroon. Outer bark thin, finely pustular-lenti- cellate to smooth, grey; sap thin, greyish or whitish. Indumentum of simple, white, long hirsute hairs and branching glandular trichomes with elongated heads and non-branching glandular mushroom-shaped trichomes, glandular hairs with dark maroon stalk and yellow head. Stipules dissected and appearing as a band of branching glandular trichomes (a similar band is also present with the bracts). Leaves: petiole 2–15.5 cm long, 1–2 mm diam, basally thickened, round but above flat to grooved, upper surface with hirsute hairs and along ridges branched glandular hairs, maroon; blade ovate, 3–5-palmatifid, 2–12.5 by 2.5–16 cm, 0.6–0.9 times as long as wide, base rounded to slightly emarginate, margin subentire to finely, shallowly serrate, teeth ending in unbranched glandular trichomes, ciliate with hirsute hairs, apex of central lobe obtuse to acuminate, lobes usually obovate, basally united, surfaces often showing small glands (hydatodes?), upper surface glossy dark green to brownish, often, especially when young, with hirsute hairs along major veins, lower surface light green to completely red when young, glabrous; venation palmate, with 7 basal veins of which central 3 or 5 more developed, nerves in central lobe 8–14 pairs, anastomosing and looped near margin except for basal one which ends in sinus between lobes. Inflorescences compound subterminal cymes, erect to erecto-patent, up to 16.5 cm long, laxly hirsute, green to maroon; peduncle 2.5–20 cm long, 1–3 mm wide; rachis 0.9–7 cm long; cymes with central flowers pistillate, staminate flowers along branches; bracts elliptic, basal ones 10–19 by 2–4 mm, indument and basal structures like leaves and stipules, respectively. Flowers cup-shaped; pedicel 2–10 mm long, with simple hairs, subapical abscission zone; sepals free, ovate to elliptic to obovate, green to maroon, margin serrate with simple hairs and teeth ending in a glandular hair, apex cuspidate; petals obovate, apex rounded, maroon with light green to yellow basal part. Staminate flowers c. 6 mm diam; sepals c. 4 by 1.2 mm; petals c. 4.5 by 2.5 mm; disc lobes obtrapezoid, convex, c. 0.5 by 0.5 mm; stamens 8, 5 in outer whorl, 3 united in inner whorl, outer almost free, with free filament part c. 1.2 mm long, yellow-red, androphore c. 2.5 mm long, light green, anthers triangular, 0.5–0.6 by 0.5–0.6 mm, orange-red, especially inner ones basally divaricating, dorsibasifixed, latrorse opening. Pistillate flowers 4.5–6 mm diam; sepals 4.5–6 by 2–2.5 mm; petals c. 5 by 3 mm, caducous; disc lobes ± rectangular, c. 1 by 0.5 mm, thick; ovary ovoid 1.5–3 by 1.3–3 mm, 6-ribbed, green, few hairs, style absent to very short, c. 0.1 mm long; stigmas light green, with unreceptive lower part c. 1 mm long, apically receptive part thickened, split, U-shaped, 0.6–0.8 mm long. Fruits oblong, slightly 3-lobed, 8–12 by 7–11.5 mm, pendant, sparingly hirsute to subglabrous, dehiscing completely septicidally and partly loculicidally, shiny green when immature; wall c. 0.5 mm thick; columella 6.3–8.5 mm long, narrowly T-shaped, very slender. Seeds somewhat dorsiventrally compressed-ellipsoid, 8–8.5 by 4.5–5 by 3–4 mm; caruncle multifid, exceeding the seed apex.

Distribution ― Mexico to N South America and Caribbean Islands, introduced and established throughout Malesia.

Habitat & Ecology ― Wet areas like swamps, coast, littoral and sublittoral, gradually sloping reef flats, and damaged mangrove ecotone, but also secondary forest, lowland savannah, grassy plains, wasteland, road sides, usually open areas in general. Soil: sandy loam, (white-)sand, loam, clay, rocky clay loam, often siltish; bedrock: granite, limestone. Altitude: sea-level up to 750 m. Flowering and fruiting: throughout the year.

Vernacular names ― Malay Peninsula (mainly after Corner 1951): Jarak, Jarak beremah, Jarak hitam, Jarak kling, Jarak merah (Malay). Java: Djarak, Djarak kosta, Djarak tjina. Philippines (mainly after Merrill 1923): Balautandoiong, Tagum- bau-a-nalabága, Taua-tauá (Ilóko); Bongalon (Tagbanua); Lansi-lanináan (Tagálog); Túba-sa-buáia (Bíkol); Tuba-túba (Panay Bisáya, Cebu Bisáya). Lesser Sunda Islands: Flores: Waru-wégé (Takatunga, Ngadha); Timor: Damar merah; Pauk op na (Dawan); Alor: Arangfai, Iwang bawiw, Train kenanagar. Cotton-leaved physic-nut (English).

Uses (after Burkill 1935, Heyne 1950) ― Ornamental plant, planted in hedges. Medicinally used against diarrhea. A swal- lowing of a decoction of 7–21 leaves works as a remedy for dry belly-ache. Seeds are used criminally as a poison, but also as a purgative; seed oil used as lamp oil, useful in treating leprosy.

Note ― If a subdivision of this somewhat variable species is desirable, then the specimens in Malesia are generally regarded as belonging to var. elegans .

Figures

Map 2 Distribution in Malesia of Jatropha gossypiifolia L.

Fig. 1 Leaf shapes and flower details in Malesian Jatropha L. – J. curcas L.: a. Leaf. – J. integerrima Jacq.: b. Leaf. – J. multifida L.: c. Leaf. – J. podagrica Hook.: d. Leaf. – J. gossypiifolia L.: e. Habit; f. staminate flower; g. androecium with disc glands; h. pistillate flower; i. base of ovary with disc glands; j. fruit, k. columella; l. seed with apical caruncle (a: Bullock 879; b: Noerkas 62; c: Anonymous s.n., barcode L 0034581; d. M. Reekmans 7729; e–g: F.G. Dickason 8644; h, i: A.M. Huq & M.K. Mia 10498; j–l: A.H.M. Jayasuriya 1248; all L). — Drawing:Anita Walsmit Sachs, 2006.

Fig. 3 Jatropha gossypiifolia L. a. Terminal branchlet; b. leaf venation, abaxial surface, with mushroom-like glandular hairs along margin; c. detail of inflo- rescence; d. infructescence with mature fruit; e, f. staminate flowers; g. disc and androecium; h, i. pistillate flowers; j. seed, ventral view; k. seed, dorsal view; l. seed, lateral view (a-c, e-l: G.G. Hatschbach 64656; d: P.L. Krieger 10422; all MA). — Drawing: José María Pizarro Domínguez, 2006.