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(Last Modified On 3/18/2013)
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(Last Modified On 3/18/2013)
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Species
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Jatropha curcas L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sp. P1. 1006, 1753.
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Description
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Shrub or small tree ca (1-) 2-5 m high; branches and mature foliage glabrous. Leaves with petioles (3-)9-15 cm long; stipules nearly obsolete, not evident on mature leaves; blades ovate, unlobed or coarsely (3-)5-7-lobed (lobes extending less than halfway to midrib), palmatinerved with mostly 7 nerves and deeply or broadly cordate at base, mostly 10-25 cm long, 9-15 cm broad, sparsely puberulent when young but soon glabrescent. Dichasia terminal on branches, bisexual or often unisexual; axes tomentulose, glabrescent, becoming ca 10-25 cm long; peduncles mostly 4-10 cm long; lower bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2-15 mm long, entire (not glandular). Staminate flowers with puberulent pedicels, ca 1-5 mm long, articu- lated below the flowers; calyx-lobes 5, elliptic, blunt, entire (not glandular), scarcely imbricate, ca 2.8-3.5 mm long; petals obovate, greenish or yellowish-white, adaxially hirsute, ca 5-6 mm long; disc-segments 5, ellipsoid, erect, massive, ca 1 mm high; stamens (8-) 10, the filaments 2.2-3.7 mm long, connate below the middle, the anthers elliptic, 1-1.6 mm long; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers with pedicels 5-9 mm long, up to 10-13 mm long in fruit, glabrous; calyx-lobes 5, oblong to lanceolate, foliaceous, obtuse or subacute at tip, entire, becoming ca 7-9 mm long; petals similar to the staminate; ovary glabrous, the styles slender, ca 1.5 mm long, connate in lower half, dilated into massive stigmata. Capsules ellipsoidal, ca 3 cm long and 2 cm broad, more or less fleshy, at length drying and dehiscent; seeds blackish, encrustate-striate, 15-22 mm long, distinctly beaked beyond the hilum, the caruncle appressed to the beak, not massive, deeply lobed, ca 2 mm long and 3.5 mm broad.
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Habit
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Shrub tree
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Distribution
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Native probably to Mexico and Guatemala; widely distributed throughout the tropics as a medicinal or hedge plant, and often escaping.
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Specimen
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BOCAS DEL TORO: Isla Colon, von Wedel 494 (MO). CANAL ZONE: betw Juan Mina & El Vigia, Pittier 2400 (US). COLON: Giral, nr Bat Cave, Blum & Tyson 518 (MO). DARIEN: 3 mi E of Santa Fe', Tyson et al. 4657 (MO). HERRERA: OcUi, Allen 4065 (MO). LOS SANTOS: Monagre beach rd, 5 mi SE Los Santos, Lewis et al. 1682 (DAV, GH, MO, UC, US); Pocri, bridge over Rio Purio, Dwyer 2456 (MO); Playa de La Concepcion, Burch et al. 1258 (MO). PANAMA: Isla Taboga, Woodson et al. 1509 (F); 1 mi E of Tocu- men airport, Blum & Tyson 1968 (MO).
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