Jatropha fremontioides Standl.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Euphorbiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Jatropha fremontioides Standl.

  • Type

    Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Ixtepec, 90 m, 19 Aug 1935 ([female], [male], fr, seed), G. L. Fisher 35498 (holotype: F; isotypes: ARIZ, F, MO, NY, US, WIS).

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrubs, to 1 m tall, monoecious. Stems: reddish when young, compact, multibranched and with short shoots; latex cloudy in young shoots but yellow in older branches. Leaves: deciduous, mostly on nodes but sometimes on short shoots, stipules caducous, petioles 2-5(-9) cm long and 2-3 mm in diam.; blades widely ovate, unlobed or shallowly 3-lobed, 2-2.5 x 2-3 cm, membranous, base cordate, margins ciliate and infrequently with 1 to few stipitate glands, apex obtuse, venation palmate with 3(-5) primary veins, canescent on both surfaces. Inflorescences: terminal, compact cymes, peduncles 1-1.8 cm; bracts 5 mm, Margins entire, pilose; pedicels subsessile or sessile. Staminate flowers: sepals oblong-elliptic, 3 x 2.5 mm, margins entire, glabrous on adaxial side but pubescent on abaxial, apex round; corollas rotate, yellowish green, petals 5 x 2 mm, distinct, obovate, tomentose on adaxial side but glabrous on abaxial, apex round; stamens 10(-9), monadelphous-biseriate (5 + 5), filaments of outer series 2-2.2 mm long and connate to ca. 2/3 of length, those of inner series 2.3-3 mm and connate to ca. ¾ of length. Pistillate flowers: like staminate but sepals 5 x 3 mm, petals 5.2 x 2.2 mm, carpels 3, styles 3 mm long and connate to ca. ¾ of length. Capsules: trilocular, ± ellipsoid, 1.5 x 1.2 cm, beaked, marked by distinct red ribs from the apical portion. Seeds: yellowish brown, ellipsoid, 1.3 x 0.6 mm, caruncle prominent.

  • Discussion

    Jatropha fremontioides is a distinct, but poorly known species. Attempts by this author to locate live plants and collect additional specimens were not successful. It differs from J. tlalcozotitlanensis by its smaller, more compact, growth habit; entire as opposed to serrate, leaf margins; and yellowish green as opposed to white with reddish-orange or yellowish tinged flower color.

  • Distribution

    A relatively narrow endemic from Ixtepec to Salina Cruz, Dist. Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, on low-lying rocky hills and in coastal areas. Flowering and fruiting mid-spring to mid-summer.

    Oaxaca Mexico North America|