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''Jatropha'' is a
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...
s in the
spurge ''Euphorbia'' is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to t ...
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, ...
. The name is derived from the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
words ἰατρός (''iatros''), meaning "physician", and τροφή (''trophe''), meaning "nutrition", hence the common name physic nut. Another common name is nettlespurge. It contains approximately 170 species of
succulent plant In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', me ...
s,
shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from tree ...
s and trees (some are
deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
, like '' Jatropha curcas''). Most of these are native to the
Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...
, with 66 species found in the
Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by thei ...
. Plants produce separate male and female
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...
s. As with many members of 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, ...
, ''Jatropha'' contains compounds that are highly toxic. ''Jatropha'' species have traditionally been used in basketmaking, tanning and dye production. In the 2000s, one species, '' Jatropha curcas'', generated interest as an oil crop for
biodiesel Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oi ...
production and also medicinal importance when used as lamp oil; native Mexicans in the Veracruz area developed by selective breeding a ''Jatropha curcas'' variant lacking the toxic compounds, yielding a better income when used as source for biodiesel, because of its edible byproduct. Toxicity may return if edible ''Jatropha'' is pollinated by toxic types.


Uses

The stems of haat ('' Jatropha cuneata'') are used for basketmaking by the
Seri people The Seri or ''Comcaac'' are an indigenous group of the Mexican state of Sonora. The majority reside on the Seri communal property ( es, ejido), in the towns of Punta Chueca ( sei, Socaaix) and El Desemboque ( sei, Haxöl Iihom, link=no) on ...
in
Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...
, Mexico. The stems are roasted, split and soaked through an elaborate process. The reddish dye that is often used is made from the root of another plant species, '' Krameria grayi''. Spicy jatropha ('' J. integerrima'') is cultivated as an ornamental in the tropics for its continuously blooming
crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, '' Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red co ...
flowers. Buddha belly plant ('' J. podagrica'') was used to
tan Tan or TAN may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hog ...
and produce a red
dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...
in Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is also used as a house plant. The oil from '' Jatropha curcas'' is mainly converted into biodiesel for use in diesel engines. The cake resulting from oil extraction, a protein-rich product, can be used for fish or animal feed (if detoxified). It is also a biomass feedstock to power electricity plants or to produce biogas, and a high-quality organic
fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
. In 2007,
Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, Ho ...
cited ''Jatropha curcas'' as one of the best candidates for future
biodiesel Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oi ...
production.Jatropha Plant Gains Steam In Global Race for Biofuels
/ref> It is resistant to
drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
and pests, and produces
seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...
s containing 27-40%
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
, averaging 34.4%. The remaining press cake of jatropha seeds after oil extraction could also be considered for energy production. However, despite their abundance and use as oil and reclamation plants, none of the ''Jatropha'' species have been properly
domesticated Domestication is a sustained multi-generational relationship in which humans assume a significant degree of control over the reproduction and care of another group of organisms to secure a more predictable supply of resources from that group. A ...
and, as a result, their productivity is variable, and the long-term impact of their large-scale use on soil quality and the environment is unknown.World Agroforestry Centre (2007
When oil grows on trees
World Agroforestry Centre press release. 26 April 2009.
2009 research found that Jatropha biodiesel production requires significantly more water than other common
biofuel crops Energy crops are low-cost and low-maintenance crops grown solely for energy production by combustion (not for food). The crops are processed into solid, liquid or gaseous fuels, such as pellets, bioethanol or biogas. The fuels are burned to g ...
, and that initial yield estimates were high. Earlier, higher estimates from
Worldwatch Institute The Worldwatch Institute was a globally focused environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C., founded by Lester R. Brown. Worldwatch was named as one of the top ten sustainable development research organizations by Globescan Su ...
had suggested that 1 acre of cultivation could yield 202 gallons (4.8 barrels) of biodiesel. ''Jatropha curcas'' is also being studied for use as a
carbon sequestration Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. Carbon dioxide () is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. These changes can be accelerated through changes in lan ...
plant in arid regions.


Toxicity

Much like other members of 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, ...
, members of the genus ''Jatropha'' contain several toxic compounds. The seeds of ''Jatropha curcas'' contain the highly poisonous
toxalbumin Toxalbumins are toxic plant proteins that disable ribosomes and thereby inhibit protein synthesis, producing severe cytotoxic effects in multiple organ systems. They are dimers held together by a disulfide bond and comprise a lectin (carbohydrat ...
curcin, a
lectin Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific for sugar groups that are part of other molecules, so cause agglutination of particular cells or precipitation of glycoconjugates and polysaccharides. Lectins have a role in rec ...
dimer. They also contain carcinogenic phorbol. Despite this, the seeds are occasionally eaten after roasting, which reduces some of the toxicity. Its sap is a skin irritant, and ingesting as few as three untreated seeds can be fatal to humans. In 2005, Western Australia banned '' Jatropha gossypiifolia'' as invasive and highly toxic to people and animals. It continues to be used as a medicine in certain geographic regions; however one study found the dried leaf to have no anti-fungal activity.


Selected species

* '' Jatropha acanthophylla'' Loefgr. * '' Jatropha bullockii'' E.J.Lott * '' Jatropha cardiophylla'' (Torr.) Müll.Arg. – Sangre de Cristo * '' Jatropha cathartica'' Terán &
Berland. Jean-Louis Berlandier (1803 – 1851) was a French-Mexican naturalist, physician, and anthropologist. Early life Berlandier was born in Geneva, and later trained as a botanist there. During this time he probably served an apprenticeship to a ph ...
– Berlandier's nettlespurge * '' Jatropha chamelensis'' Pérez-Jiménez * '' Jatropha costaricensis'' G.L.Webster & Poveda * '' Jatropha cinerea'' (Ortega) Müll.Arg. – Arizona nettlespurge * '' Jatropha cuneata'' Wiggins & Rollins – Limberbush, haat (pronounced ) * '' Jatropha curcas'' L. – Physic nut, piñoncillo, habb-el-melúk * '' Jatropha dhofarica'' Radcl.-Sm. * ''
Jatropha dioica ''Jatropha dioica'' is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that is native to Texas in the United States as well as Mexico as far south as Oaxaca. Common names include leatherstem and sangre de drago. The specific n ...
'' Sessé – Leatherstem * '' Jatropha elliptica'' (Pohl) Oken * '' Jatropha excisa'' Griseb. * '' Jatropha gossypiifolia'' L. – Bellyache bush * '' Jatropha hernandiifolia'' Vent. – Wild oilnut * '' Jatropha integerrima''
Jacq. Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin (16 February 172726 October 1817) was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany. Biography Born in Leiden in the Netherlands, he studied medicine at Leiden University, then moved first to Par ...
syn. '' J. pandurifolia'' – Spicy jatropha, called in Chinese "ri ri ying", which means "every-day-flowered cherry blossom"Staff, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jatropha pandurifolia
* ''
Jatropha macrantha ''Jatropha macrantha'', also called the ''huanarpo macho'', is a medium size shrubby tree species in the genus ''Jatropha'' with orange red flowers. It is indigenous to Peru. It is as popular in Peru as Muira Puama is in Brazil. Catechin Ca ...
'' Mull. Arg – Huanarpo macho or Peruvian Viagra * '' Jatropha macrorhiza'' Benth. – Ragged nettlespurge * '' Jatropha multifida'' L. – Coralbush * '' Jatropha nudicaulis'' Benth. * '' Jatropha podagrica'' Hook. – Buddha belly plant, bottleplant shrub * '' Jatropha unicostata'' Balf.f.


Gallery

Image:Jatropha multifida 1.JPG, Flowers of ''Jatropha multifida'' in El Crucero, Managua, Nicaragua. Image:Jatropha multifida 2.JPG, ''Jatropha multifida'' plant in El Crucero, Managua, Nicaragua. Image:Jatropha multifida 3.JPG, Flowers of ''Jatropha multifida'' with blue butterfly in El Crucero, Managua, Nicaragua. Image:Jatropha multifida 4.JPG, Flowers and leaves of ''Jatropha multifida'' in El Crucero, Managua, Nicaragua. Image:Jatropha_integerrima_1.jpg, ''Jatropha integerrima'' Image:J_podagrica_ies.jpg, ''Jatropha podagrica'' Jatropha pandurifolia 01.jpg, ''Jatropha pandurifolia'' Jatropha-podagrica-1- 1200.jpg, Close-up of '' Jatropha podagrica'' File:เข็มปัตตาเวีย Jatropha integerrima Jacq. (3).jpg, ''Jatropha integerrima'' Jacq. in Thailand File:Flowers of Jatropha integerrima.jpg, Jatropha integerrima in
West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
, India.


Formerly placed here

*''
Aleurites moluccanus ''Aleurites moluccanus'', the candlenut, is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, ''kemiri'', varnish tree, ''nuez de la India'', ''buah keras'', ''godou'', kukui nut tree, and ''rata k ...
'' (L.) Willd. (as ''J. moluccana'' L.) *'' Baliospermum montanum'' (Willd.) Müll.Arg. (as ''J. montana'' Willd.) *'' Cnidoscolus aconitifolius'' (Mill.) I.M.Johnst. (as ''J. aconitifolia'' Mill.) *''
Cnidoscolus angustidens ''Cnidoscolus angustidens'', with the common name mala mujer, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It is native to the Sonoran Desert mountains of southeastern Arizona and Northwestern Mexico, and further south ...
'' Torr. (as ''J. angustidens'' (Torr.) Müll.Arg.) *''
Cnidoscolus quercifolius ''Cnidoscolus quercifolius'' ( syn. ''C. phyllacanthus''; common names in Portuguese: favela, faveleira, faveleiro, and mandioca-brava) is a species of flowering plant. It is endemic to Brazil. Its distributional range includes Bahia, Pernambuc ...
'' Pohl (as ''J. phyllacantha'' Müll.Arg.) *''
Cnidoscolus stimulosus ''Cnidoscolus stimulosus'', the bull nettle, spurge nettle, tread-softly or finger rot, is a perennial herb covered with stinging hairs, native to southeastern North America. A member of the family Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), it is not a true ...
'' (Michx.) Engelm. & A.Gray (as ''J. stimulosa'' Michx.) *''
Cnidoscolus texanus ''Cnidoscolus texanus'', commonly known as Texas bullnettle (also Texas bull nettleNieland, Lashara J. and Willa F. Finley (2009) Lone Star Wildflowers: A Guide to Texas Flowering Plants. Texas Tech University Press. Lubbock, Texas x, 320 pp. an ...
'' (Müll. Arg.) Small (as ''J. texana'' Müll.Arg.) *'' Cnidoscolus tubulosus'' (Müll. Arg.) I.M.Johnst. (as ''J. tepiquensis'' Costantin & Gallaud and ''J. tubulosa'' Müll.Arg.) *'' Cnidoscolus urens'' (L.) Arthur (as ''J. urens'' L.) *'' Hyaenanche globosa'' (Gaertn.) Lamb. (as ''J. globosa'' Gaertn.) * ''Manihot esculenta'' subsp. ''esculenta'' (as ''J. dulcis'' J.F.Gmel. and ''J. manihot'' L.) *'' Manihot carthagenensis'' subsp. ''carthagenensis'' (as ''J. carthagenensis'' Jacq.) *'' Manihot tripartita'' subsp. ''tripartita'' (as ''J. tripartita'' Spreng.)


Synonyms

* ''Adenorhopium'' Rchb. * ''Adenoropium'' Pohl * ''Castiglionia'' Ruiz & Pav. * ''Collenucia''
Chiov. __NOTOC__ ''Emilio Chiovenda'' (18 May 1871 – 19 February 1941) was an Italian botanist. Chiovenda was born in Rome in 1871 to a family originating from rural Piedmont. He was educated at the Collegio Rosmini in Stresa and Domodossola College be ...
* ''Curcas''
Adans. Michel Adanson (7 April 17273 August 1806) was an 18th-century French botanist and naturalist who traveled to Senegal to study flora and fauna. He proposed a "natural system" of taxonomy distinct from the binomial system forwarded by Linnaeus. ...
* ''Jatropa'' Scop., orth. var. * ''Loureira'' Cav. * ''Mesandrinia'' Raf. * ''Mozinna'' Ortega * ''Zimapania'' Engl. & Pax


References


External links


BBC News report of Jatropa Biofuel
* Case study report on the relationship with food security, provides references and background information. *
Any lessons for Ghana? India jatropha failure

Jatropha not a miracle biofuel crop after all
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q152986 Euphorbiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus