Jatropha excisa var. viridiflora Lourteig & O'Donell

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Euphorbiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Jatropha excisa var. viridiflora Lourteig & O'Donell

  • Type

    Type. Argentina. Prov. Salta, Rosario de la Frontera, 7 Jan 1905, M. Lillo 3859 (holotype: LIL).

  • Synonyms

    Jatropha flavovirens Pax & K.Hoffm.

  • Description

    Variety Description - Shrubs, 1.5-2.5(-4) m tall. Stems: similar to those of species. Leaves: with stipules 6- to 8-branched, stipitate glands; petioles 6.5-11.5 long and 1.5-2 mm in diam., bladesl2-14 x 7.5-9.5 cm, width of segments 4.5-5.5 cm, glabrous on both surfaces. Inflorescences: rigid, bracts 5.5-8 mm long, glabrous, peduncles and rachis 8-9 cm, with significantly fewer branches and flowers. Flowers: as in species but corollas greenish yellow, petals glabrous on adaxial side and sparsely pubescent on abaxial; stamens (8 or 9-)10, anthers yellowish green. Capsules: as in var. excisa but hirsute.

  • Discussion

    McVaugh’s (1945b) inability to segregate J. excisa from J. flavovirens in his key is perfectly understandable. In agreement with Lourteig (1943), there is no fundamental distinction between Jatropha excisa var. viridiflora and J. flavovirens. This variety is easily distinguished from others by its few-flowered inflorescences with shorter paracladia and distinctly smaller, green flowers. In this treatment, however, some specimens annotated as J. flavovirens with reddish flowers and other differences are considered distinct and included in J. hippocastanifolia Croizat. A few specimens with reddish flowers were erroneously annotated as Jatropha flavovirens var. rubiginosa, a nomen illegi-timum, by B. Dehgan & F. Almira.

  • Distribution

    Southern Bolivia, northern Argentina, and western Paraguay, in xeric, extensively grazed areas. It is often found in the same areas as var. excisa.

    Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Tarija Bolivia South America| Nueva Asunción Paraguay South America| Jujuy Argentina South America| La Rioja Argentina South America| Salta Argentina South America| Tucuman Argentina South America|