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Jatropha curcas

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malpighiales Family: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Jatropha

Barbados nut, kukuipake (Ni‘ihau via St. John), physic nut

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Glabrous shrubs or small trees 2–5 m tall.

Stems: With copious pale but slightly colored sap.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades broadly ovate, 12–40 cm long, 9–15 cm wide. Surfaces sparsely puberulent when young, soon glabrate. Margins 3–5-angled or shallowly lobed, rarely subentire. Palmately veined. Petioles (3–)9–15 cm long. Stipules minute, absent on mature leaves, entire.

Flowers: Flowers in terminal dichasia; peduncles 4–10 cm long. Flowers unisexual; plants monoecious; staminate flowers with pedicels 1–5 mm long pistillate flowers with pedicels 5–9 mm long, elongating to 10–14 mm long in fruit. Calyx 5-lobed; Calyx of staminate flowers 2.8–3.5 mm long; Calyx of pistillate flower 7–9 mm long. Corolla of 5 petals; petals staminate flower petals greenish to yellowish white, obovate, 5–6 mm long pistillate flower petals similar to those of staminate flowers. Stamens in staminate flower (8–)10; filaments connate below the middle. Ovary superior (pistillate flowers), glabrous, (2)3(4)-celled; ovules 1 per cell; styles connate at base, bifid. Staminate flower ovary absent.

Fruit: Capsules ellipsoid; 2.5–3 cm long and in diameter; essentially unlobed; ± fleshy; eventually drying and dehiscent. Seeds black; 1.5–2.2 cm long; beaked.

Ploidy: 2n = 22; 44; 88

Habitat:

Elevation Range: ca. 460 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Potentially naturalizing
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 1006 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:623 (EM); Staples & Herbst 2005:289 (KEY, DESCR); Parker & Parsons 2012a:59 (H); Starr & Starr 2013a:34 (H, RANGE EXT [Kaʻu Distr.])

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Jatropha curcas Kamilonui Valley, secondary gulch on ridge to East along trail by stream, under Hale Koa zone Preserved_Specimen Egler, F.E. 37111 Oahu BISH 1937-07-11
2 Jatropha curcas Koko Crater Botanical Garden, American section Cultivated Preserved_Specimen Tree to 4m; flowers yellow Annable, C.R. 3530 Oahu BISH 1997-10-19
3 Jatropha curcas Puna coast, Lae a Puki Preserved_Specimen sprawling shrub; flowers greenish, petals 5 Fagerlund, G.O. Hawaii BISH 1996-01-01
4 Jatropha curcas Keauhou-kona, Hokukano, near Puu ohai disturbed Leucaena association Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. Hawaii BISH 1991-11-06
5 Jatropha curcas Kaneohe Bay Preserved_Specimen leafy branch and fruit Reppun, F. Oahu BISH 1957-09-22
6 Jatropha curcas East Maui, near Lualailua Hills (Auwahi) Naturalized and growing densely in small gulch, along both sides of road. Preserved_Specimen Semi-woody/fleshy shrub or tree up to 4 m tall. Starr, F. 9911091 Maui BISH 1999-11-09
7 Jatropha curcas East Maui, S slope of Haleakala, Kahikinui small gulch Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 19330 Maui BISH 1948-12-22
8 Jatropha curcas South Kona Preserved_Specimen small tree Carlson, N.K. Hawaii BISH 1956-02-01
9 Jatropha curcas 1974 California Ave., Wahiawa Preserved_Specimen MacDonald, A.J. Oahu BISH 1951-05-28
10 Jatropha curcas Kau, Hilea Preserved_Specimen Meinecke, W.H. 1 Hawaii BISH 1963-12-05
11 Jatropha curcas Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Matayoshi, N. 89.184 Hawaii BISH 1989-07-25
12 Jatropha curcas North Kona, Kailua Preserved_Specimen Greenwell, A.B.H. Hawaii BISH 1948-06-01
13 Jatropha curcas Honolulu, Beretania St., near Priory Preserved_Specimen McCormick, Mrs. Oahu BISH 1946-10-01
14 Jatropha curcas Queen Kaahumanu Hwy., North Kona Prosopis pallida, Leucaena leucocephala, Pithecellobium dulce Preserved_Specimen many shrubs to 13'; sap sticky, clear white, cloudy; fruit globose, green, 1 diam. Parker, J. 94 Hawaii BISH 2009-08-06
15 Jatropha curcas Waipio Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 4676 Hawaii BISH 1910-01-01
16 Jatropha curcas Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Matayoshi, N. 89.184 Hawaii BISH 1989-07-25
17 Jatropha curcas Kau Spread by flood/gravity, many scattered plants throughout area. Naturalized. Dry scrub along with Leucaena leucocephala and Samnea saman. Preserved_Specimen Starr, F. 12071701 Hawaii BISH 2012-07-17
18 Jatropha curcas Waimea Arboretum partial shade Preserved_Specimen tree 5 m; flowers lime green, with slight fragrance(afternoon) Lau, J. 2795 Oahu BISH 1986-08-02
19 Jatropha curcas Halalii Lake, N of Knoll Preserved_Specimen Tree 6 m x 1 dm St.John, H. 22751 Niihau BISH 1947-08-12
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