Jatropha podagrica Hook.

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 : 69-72

5. Jatropha podagrica Hook. ― Fig. 1d , 7, 8; Map 4

Jatropha podagrica Hook.(1848) t. 4376;Müll.Arg.(1866) 1093; Pax (1910) 44; Merr. (1923) 450; McVaugh (1945) 277; Backer & Bakh.f. (1963) 494; Airy Shaw (1972) 284;Radcl.-Sm.(1987) 355; Chantharaprasong & Welzen (2007) 348,f. 11D; Li Bingtao & M.G.Gilbert (2008) 268;Fern. Casas (2016) 49, f. 18-22, map 5. ― Type (see Radcliffe-Smith 1987): Seemann s.n. (BM n.v.), Panama, Santa Marta.

Shrubs, up to 70(–150) cm high, not or hardly branching, basal stem very thickened, succulent, flask-like, on top a more slender apical branch (or lower on basal part side-branches); flowering branches c. 1 cm diam. Bark grey and green; watery to slightly white sap. Indumentum absent. Stipules dissected in slip-like lobes of c. 4 mm wide. Leaves: petiole 16.5–35 cm long, c. 0.5 cm diam, round, hollow; blade ovate, c. 15–28 by 17–31 cm, 5-lobed, lobes less than 1/3rd of blade, base 4.5–7.5 cm peltate, margin entire, dark green above, pale light greenish greyish below; lobes obovate, apices broadly acute to acuminate; venation palmate, slightly raised on top, 7 veins originating from base, nerves 4–10 pairs per lobe. Inflorescences compound cymes, corymbiform; peduncle 34–43 cm long, red, cymes with basally the central flowers pistillate, on the branches staminate flowers; rachis 3–40 mm high; bracts ovate, 1–3 by 0.8–2 mm, apex acuminate, becoming smaller upwards. Flowers: pedicel with apically an abscission zone; sepals and petals red. Staminate flowers: pedicel 2 – 5 mm long; calyx lobes 1.4–1.5 by 0.8–1 mm, apex rounded; petals obovate, c. 6.5 by 1.6 mm, margin entire, apex rounded; disc glands thick, ± square, c. 0.3 by 0.3 mm; stamens 8, 5 in outer whorl, 3 in inner whorl, filaments free, c. 4 mm long, anthers with parallel thecae, c. 2.5 by 0.8 mm, basifixed, opening latro-extrorse, pollen orange. Pistillate flowers subsessile; sepals free, triangular, c. 1.5 by 1.5 mm, apex obtuse; petals early caducous, not seen; disc glands like staminate flowers; ovary ellipsoid, c. 5 by 3 mm, style nearly absent; stigmas: unreceptive basal part c. 1 mm long, receptive part c. 1.2 mm long, almost completely split, U-shaped. Fruits flattened, depressed globular, c. 11 by 7 mm, glabrous, opening septicidally and partly loculicidally; wall c. 0.3 mm thick; columella c. 10 mm long, apically thickened, not T-shaped. Seeds ellipsoid, c. 9 by 4 mm; caruncle c. 1.5 by 2 mm.

Distribution ― Central America and Caribbean Islands. Introduced in Malesia as ornamental, occurring in the Philippines, naturalized in the Caroline Islands (Koror Island).

Habitat & Ecology ― On the Caroline Islands common in thickets around houses, in the Philippines and Thailand only planted; granite bedrock. Altitude: sea-level up to 350 m. Flowering: February– April, July,August, October; fruiting: February, March, July, August, October .

Uses ― Garden ornamental, potential to escape cultivation, not considered a dangerous invasive in the Caroline Islands. Young leaves and tubers can be eaten, but not raw.

Acknowledgments The directors and keepers of the various herbaria mentioned under the types are thanked for information and/or pictures of the type specimens. The reviewers and editor are thanked for their very helpful suggestions.Anita Walsmit Sachs,José María Pizarro Domínguez and Juan Luis Castillo Gorroño made the beautiful drawings.Jan-Frits Veldkamp gave advice on nomenclature.

Figures

Map 4 Distribution in Malesia of Jatropha multifida L. (▲) and J. podagrica Hook. (■).

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.