''Jatropha podagrica'' is a succulent plant in the family

Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges, such as '' Euphorbia paralias'', are herbs, but some, ...

. It is native to the tropical Americas but is grown as an ornamental plant in many parts of the world due to its unusual appearance. Common names include Gout Plant, Gout Stalk, Guatemalan Rhubarb, Coral Plant, Buddha Belly Plant, Purging-Nut, Physic Nut, Goutystalk Nettlespurge, Australian Bottle Plant, and Tartogo.

Description

''J. podagrica'' is a caudiciform

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

herb growing up to 1 metre (3 feet) tall. The grey-green, knobby, swollen caudex has a bottle-like appearance, giving rise to some of the common names. Leaves are held on long fleshy yet stout petioles which emerge from the tip of the stem and radiate in all directions. Leaves are

peltate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

and 3 or 5 lobed. Dense clusters of small, orange-red, flowers are held above the leaves on long slim peduncles. The clusters carry both male and female flowers and flowering continues for most of the year. Fruit are green capsules at first, becoming blackish-brown at maturity, when they explode and scatter their seeds up to 4 metres (13 feet) away. When cut, the plant exudes a copious sticky sap which may cause

dermatitis Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can ...

on contact.

Cultivation

The swollen caudex, showy leaves, and colourful flowers make ''J. podagrica'' an attractive ornamental, and it is grown as an indoor plant in many parts of the world.

Uses

There are many uses of ''J. podagrica'' in

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

, including as an analgesic, tonic, aphrodisiac, purgative, laxative, and to treat infections, intestinal worms, snakebite, gout, and more. Other uses include tanning, dye making, soap making, biofuel, fish poison, lamp lighting, and fertiliser. Additionally, a number of research projects have sought to identify medicinally useful compounds from ''J. podagrica''.

Toxicity

All parts of the plant are considered

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subs ...

, in particular the seeds. The main toxins are a purgative oil and a phytotoxin or toxalbumin (curcin) similar to ricin in Ricinis.

Galleries

File:Jatropha podagrica flowers leaves 02.jpg, Jatropha podagrica Image:Jatropha podagrica.JPG, Buddha belly plant from

Pondicherry Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...

Image:Flowers I IMG 9716.jpg, Flower of jatropha podagrica Jatropha-podagrica-8- 1200.jpg, Close-up of Jatropha podagrica Jatropha-podagrica-6- 1200.jpg, Fruit of Jatropha podagrica File:Jatropha-podagrica.jpg, Flower of Jatropha podagrica File:Jatropha podagrica flowers leaves 04.jpg, Jatropha podagrica flowers leaves File:Jatropha podagrica flowers leaves 01.jpg, Jatropha podagrica File:หนุมานนั่งแท่น Jatropha podagrica Hook. f. วงศ์ EUPHORBIACEAE (5).jpg, Jatropha podagrica in Thailand File:หนุมานนั่งแท่น Jatropha podagrica Hook. f. วงศ์ EUPHORBIACEAE (11).jpg, Jatropha podagrica Close up Flowers

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5240151

podagrica ''Podagrica'' is a genus of skeletonising flea beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae. There are some 55 species in the Palaearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stret ...

Caudiciform plants House plants Flora of Central America