Monographs Details:
Authority:

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

Euphorbiaceae
Description:

Latin Diagnosis - Frutices; folius plus minusve coriaceous, 3-5 lobatus, margine ciliatis-glandularis; corrolis supra sanguineus autem infra albidus-viridis.

Variety Description - Shrubs, to 1.2 m tall. Stems: branches hirsute becoming glabrate. Leaves: somewhat coriaceous, 3-5 lobed, smaller and narrower than those of related taxa, 2.2-5 x 3.5-5 cm, segments narrowly elliptic, margins ciliate-glandular, scarcely to densely pubescent on abaxial side, lower lobes smaller, ca. 2 cm long; dull beneath, developing leaves light red soon becoming green. Flowers: smaller, sepals sometimes pinkish on abaxial side; petals dark red-purple on adaxial side-but whitish green on abaxial.

Discussion:

Local names and uses: Belly-ache bush, figus nut, médecinier rouge (cultivated), physic nut, red physic nut (cultivated), sibidigua, tattoo bush, túatúa, wild cassada, and wild okra. In the Bahama Islands, fruits are used for making a drink to treat fever [Dunbar 256 (GH)]. In Dominica, leaves are used as an analgesic with candle wax for burns and abscesses and also crushed and made into a poultice with castor oil or salt to extract pus [J. E. Higgins & Paris 49 (NY)], and used to make a tea for infants’ teething and stomachache [D. S. Correll 43360 (F, TEX)]. In St. Kitts, it is used as a purgative, “a very strong plant, castor oil is made from it” [C. Barnard s.n. (BM)]. In Jamaica, capsules are pounded, stewed with sweet or castor oil in tin, and used as plaster on sores (D. H. Nicolson 1996 (DAV, US). In Trinidad, leaves are used in a poultice for treatment of sores, skin rashes, hemorrhoids, and venereal diseases [P. O. Williams 12013 (GH)].
Distribution:

Anegada Virgin Islands South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| Isla de la Juventud Cuba South America| Saint Ann Jamaica South America| Santiago de Cuba Cuba South America| Saint Catherine Jamaica South America| Saint Elizabeth Jamaica South America| Saint James Jamaica South America| Saint Thomas Jamaica South America| Saint Andrew Jamaica South America| Nippes Haiti South America| Acklins Bahamas South America| Crooked Island Bahamas South America| Inagua Bahamas South America| Grand Turk Bahamas South America| New Providence Bahamas South America| Turks and Caicos Islands South America| Turks and Caicos Islands South America| Turks and Caicos Islands South America| Camagüey Cuba South America| Cienfuegos Cuba South America| Guantánamo Cuba South America| La Habana Cuba South America| Holguín Cuba South America| Matanzas Cuba South America| Villa Clara Cuba South America| Cayman Islands South America| Clarendon Jamaica South America| Hanover Jamaica South America| Manchester Jamaica South America| Kingston Jamaica South America| Artibonite Haiti South America| Nord Haiti South America| Nord-Ouest Haiti South America| Ouest Haiti South America| Sud Haiti South America| Azua Dominican Republic South America| Barahona Dominican Republic South America| La Romana Dominican Republic South America| Monte Cristi Dominican Republic South America| Pedernales Dominican Republic South America| Peravia Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Plata Dominican Republic South America| San Pedro de Macorís Dominican Republic South America| Santiago Rodríguez Dominican Republic South America| Distrito Nacional Dominican Republic South America| Caguas Puerto Rico South America| Guánica Puerto Rico South America| Lajas Puerto Rico South America| Luquillo Puerto Rico South America| Mayagüez Puerto Rico South America| San Juan Puerto Rico South America| Toa Baja Puerto Rico South America| Westmoreland Jamaica South America| Anguilla South America| Antigua and Barbuda South America| Antigua and Barbuda South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Dominica South America| Montserrat South America| Saint Kitts Saint Kitts and Nevis South America| Saint Martin South America| Bonaire South America| Culebra Puerto Rico South America| Juana Días Puerto Rico South America| Quebradillas Puerto Rico South America| Vieques Puerto Rico South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint John Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Barbados South America| Curaçao South America| Grenada South America| Martinique South America| Saint Lucia South America|