Jatropha platyphylla Müll.Arg.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Euphorbiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Jatropha platyphylla Müll.Arg.

  • Type

    Lectotype. Mexico. Nayarit; M. Sessé & J. M. Mociño 4231 (lectotype, here designated: MA; photos of holotype: F, MICH, MO, UC, US; isotypes: F, G).

  • Synonyms

    Jatropha peltata Steud.

  • Description

    Species Description - Trees or large shrubs to 10 m tall, dioecious. Stems: yellowish brown, sparsely branched, young branches densely tomentose, soft and succulent, with chambered pits, spreading, densely tomentose early, not peeling, latex copious, cloudy in younger shoots but reddish in older parts of plant; trunk to ca. 30 cm diam. (dbh.). Leaves: deciduous; stipules linear to lanceolate, 1.5-2(-6) mm long; petioles 8-14.5(-26) cm long and 2.5-4.5(-7) mm in diam., glabrous; blades peltate, orbicular, 13-36 x 9-27 cm, reddish when young, with 3-5 shallow lobes, 6-20 cm wide, membranous or ± chartaceous, base shallowly cordate, margins entire (not glandular, except on eophylls), apices broadly acute to acuminate, venation palmate, with 7-9 primary, pinkish red veins radiating from the center and noticeably thickened and raised on abaxial side; sparsely pubescent on veins on both surfaces. Inflorescences: terminal becoming lateral with continued growth; staminate large and with numerous paracladia but pistillate much smaller and with few paracladia; peduncles (5-)l 1-19 cm long in staminate and 2-9 cm long in pistillate; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 1-7 mm long; pedicels 2-3 mm long in staminate flowers and 4.5-10 mm long in pistillate. Staminate flowers: sepals ovate, sparingly pubescent on both surfaces but sometimes glabrous on adaxial surface, apex round, margins entire, free, 2.5-3.5 x 15-2.2 mm wide; corollas tubular-campanulate, white; petals 7-8 x 2.5-3 mm, connate to ¾ of length, apex round, strongly reflexed, tomentose on adaxial surface and glabrous on abaxial; stamens 10, monadelphous-biseriate (5 + 5), filaments of outer series 2.5-4 mm long and connate ca. ½ of length, those of inner series 4-5 mm and connate ca. ¾ of length, anthers 1.1-1.5 mm long. Pistillate flowers: like staminate but sepals foliaceous, 9-13 x 3-7 mm; petals 8-10 x 4-5 mm; carpels 3 or exceptionally 4 in the uppermost, central flower; styles 3, 1.5-2 mm long, connate ¼-½ of length. Capsules: 3-locular (or rarely 4-locular), oval, 27-3.8 x 2.5-3 cm, narrower on top than on bottom. Seeds: light brown with darker mottling, nearly spherical, 1.8-2.2 cm diam., caruncle vestigial.

  • Discussion

    Local names and uses. Bonete, conillo, cuincho, sangre de grado, and sangregrado. Cultivated for medicinal purposes at Huizontla and often used for various ailments. It is also sometimes cultivated for its brownish red, immature leaves that ultimately become green but maintain distinctly red veins. Jatropha platyphylla has the largest leaves of any of the Jatrophas and has the potential for adding coarse texture quality to tropical and subtropical landscapes.

    Two collections of Jatropha platyphylla, both at are designated as types on the specimens. Sessé & Mociño [(G 24389 - ex Conservatorio Botanico Genevensi); (photos F, MICH, MO, UC)] is selected as the lectotype here because the Mexican state of Jalisco, where the specimen was collected, is noted on the sheet. The collection by Pavón ex Hb. Boiss. (type at G 34049 in the Delessert Herbarium) would otherwise have been equally suitable. Both specimens lack collection dates but are of historical importance. As noted earlier in this monograph, the name Jatropha peltata involves several confusing elements. Jatropha peltata Sessé, Cervantes, Suppl. Gaz. Lit. Mexico 3: 3 (2 Jul 1794). 1794, was considered by McVaugh (1945a) to be a dubious species, and I agree, Govaerts (2009), however, accepted J. peltata as a legitimate species of western Mexico. I am not aware of the taxon to which he refers. Most likely, it is J platyphylla, which is the only species, other than the unmistakable J. podagrica, with peltate leaves in Mexico. Jatropha peltata Cerv. in Gaz. Lit. Mexico, suppl. 3:3 (2 Jul). 1794; Cerv. & Konig, Tracts Bot. 231. 1805, also refers to either J. podagrica or J. platyphylla, as noted by McVaugh (1945a). Jatropha peltata (Pohl) Steudel, Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2, 1: 799. 1840. = Manihot peltata Pohl, Pl. Bras. Icon. Descr. 1: 18. 1827. Also see J. humboldtiana.

  • Distribution

    Western states of Sinaloa, Durango, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacán, Mexico, in selva baja caducifolia vegetation on gravelly slopes at ca. 1000-4000 m. Flowering primarily in late spring to mid-summer.

    Colima Mexico North America| Durango Mexico North America| Jalisco Mexico North America| Michoacán Mexico North America| Nayarit Mexico North America| Sinaloa Mexico North America|