Jatropha mollissima (Pohl) Baill.

  • Authority

    Dehgan, Bijan. 2012. . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 110: 1--274. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Euphorbiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Jatropha mollissima (Pohl) Baill.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Shrubs, or small trees to 5 m tall. Stems: gray-brown, often tomentose, smooth but lenticels ferruginous, ± fleshy, leaf scars circular and protruding to a sharp spinelike point, bark peeling in large sheets on main trunk; latex clear and somewhat sticky. Leaves: persistent, stipules branched or unbranched, stipitate glands, 2-7 mm long; petioles often purplish red, 5-21.5 cm and 1.2-3.5 mm in diam.; blades cordate in outline, 5-lobed, 7-18.5 x 6-11 cm, membranous to slightly carnose; base cordate, margins entire to serrate, glandular, or glandular-ciliate, apex acute-acuminate, venation palmate with 5(-7) primary veins, rugose and pubescent on both surfaces. Inflorescences: terminal becoming lateral with continued growth, many-flowered cymes; peduncles 11-19 cm long and 0.9-0.2 cm in diam.; bracts 4-14 mm, glabrous; pedicels 1-3 mm. Staminate flowers: sepals ovate, 3-4.5 x 1.8-2.5 mm, distinct or connate only at base, apex acute-acuminate, margins glandular, glabrous on adaxial surface but pubescent on abaxial; corollas rotate or ± campanulate, various colors, predominantly bright red but sometimes bicolor (red and yellow), petals obovate, 6-11 x 3-4.5 mm, distinct, apex round, glabrous on both surfaces; stamens 8(-9), filaments distinct, uniseriate, 2-4.5 mm. Pistillate flowers: like staminate but sepals 4-10 x 2-3.5 mm; petals 10-11 x 4-7 mm; carpels 3, styles distinct, 2-3 mm long. Capsules: ± spherical, ca. 3 cm diam., distinctly coronate and 6-ribbed, rugose, explosively dehiscent. Seeds: glossy cream to brown with dark brown mottling, oval, 12-14 x 9-13 mm, glabrous, caruncle prominent, striated.

  • Discussion

    Local names and uses. Higuerillo, mandioca brava (Pax, 1910), pinhâo, pinhâo-bravo, pinhâo roro, pinhão vermelha, pinhas, and pinyon. The sap is used medicinally on wounds [Pearson 36 (K), Olivera et al. (2007)]. The sap also is diluted in water and drunk or applied externally to treat inflammation caused by snake bite (Albuquerque, 2006; Agra et al. 2007). Detailed ethno-medicinal information for Jatropha mollissima was provided by Leal & Agra (2005).

    Jatropha mollissima is a polymorphic species for which several varieties have been described, but only one merits recognition. Characteristics used to describe varieties are often inconsistent and, in most cases, occur on the individual, live specimens. Moreover, this species at times has been confused with and, in some cases probably hybridizes with, J. hieronymii to which it is closely affiliated. Jatropha mollissima var. subglabra Müll.Arg. from Pernambuco was described as having yellow flowers, a distinctive characteristic of J. hieronymii, which does not occur in Brazil. In Bolivia, where both species are found, plants of. J. hieronymi generally are larger and possess a distinctive yellow flower, but some individuals have bicolor (yellow + red) flowers. Jatropha mollissima and J. mutabilis occur sympatrically in northern Brazil and often hybridize (see discussion under J. mutabilis and Fernández Casas, 2006).

    According to Pax (1910:39), Adenoropium luxurious (Jatropha luxurious and J. pohliana var. mollissima f. luxurious) are monstrosities (forma monstrosa), because the calyces of staminate flowers are foliaceous and glandular-ciliate. These characteristics are generally unknown in the species, except for what appears to be probably the result of viral infection.

  • Distribution

    Widely distributed in north-central states of Brazil, in central Bolivia, and doubtfully in Venezuela (no specimen seen), on jagged limestone and dry flatlands, 300-2000 m. Flowering predominantly during rainy season, otherwise sporadically all year.

    Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Venezuela South America|