Jatropha curcas
(jatropha)

Preferred Common Name

• jatropha

Other Scientific Names

• Castiglionia lobata Ruiz & Pav.
• Curcas adansonii Endl
• Curcas curcas (L.) Britt.
• Curcas drastica Mart.
• Curcas indica A.Rich
• Curcas lobata Splitg. ex Lanj.
• Curcas purgans Medik.
• Jatropha acerifolia Salisb.
• Jatropha afrocurcas Pax
• Jatropha curcas var. rufa McVaugh
• Jatropha edulis Sessé
• Jatropha yucatanensis Briq.
• Manihot curcas (L.) Crantz
• Ricinus americanus Mill.
• Ricinus jarak Thunb.

International Common Names

• English: Barbados nut; Barbados nut tree; bubble bush; Mexican pine; physic nut; physic nut tree; poison nut; purging nut; purging nut tree
• Spanish: arbol de los pinones de Indias; arbol santo; frailejon; pinon; pinon blanco; pinoncillo; tartago; tempate
• French: grand ignon d'Inde; grand medicinier; gros ricin; haricot du perou; manioc batard; medicinier; noix de medicine; oignon d'Inde; pignon des Barbades; pignon d'Inde; pion d'Inde; pourghere; pulguere; purghere; ricin d'Amerique
• Arabic: dandebarri; dandenahri; habb el meluk
• Chinese: ma fong chou
• Portuguese: grao malucco; grao muluco; pinahao; pinhao de purga; pulza; purgheira; purgueira; ricino maior

Local Common Names

• Indochina: ba dau me; ba dau nam; cc dau; dau me; dong thu; kuang; lohong; vao; vong dau ngo
• Benin: aru-ebo
• Brazil: figo do inferno Mandubiguasu; munduyguasu; pihao de purga; pinhao do paaguay; pinhao manso; pinhao paraguay; pinheiro de purga; pinheiro do inferno
• Cambodia: lohong khvangsu
• Cameroon: botije; botuje; botuje-ubo; lobotuje; olobontuje; shenrijum; ubo
• Cape Verde: pulguiera
• Caribbean: feved'enfer; herbe du bon dieu; herbe du diable mancenillier benit; medicinier benit; medicinier des Barbades; noix americaine; pignon de Barbarie; pignon d'Inde
• Cook Islands: fiki; pakarani; piki; tuitui pakarangi; tuke
• Cuba: piñón criollo; piñón lechero; piñón vómico
• Egypt: habbel-meluk
• Ethiopia: ehanduejot; erundi; jangli-yarandi
• Fiji: banidakai; fiki; manggele; maqele; mbanindakai; ndrala; uto ni vavalangi; wiriwiri; wiriwiri ni vavalangi
• French Guiana: barane; medeicinier
• Gabon: ogombo
• Germany: Purgiernussbaum; Purgirnuss; Schwarzelrechnuss
• Guam: tubatuba
• Haiti: feuilles medecin; feuilles médicinier; grand médecinier; médecinier à grandes feuilles; médecinier béni; médecinier cathartique; médicinier à grandes feuilles
• India: adalai; akhuparnika; bagberenda; bagbherenda; baghbarinda; baghrandi; baigab; bhernda; bonbheranda; chitra; dravanti; erandagachh; irundi; jaiphal; jangliarandi; jepal; kadalmanakku; kaitta; kananeranda; kattamanakku; kattavanakku; kattukkottai; kuribaravuni; kurikarlu; maraharalu; mogalieranda; mushikaparni; naligadi; nikkurottam; nyagrodhi; paharierand; parvateranda; pharierand; pratyakshreni; ranayerandi; randa; ratanjot; safedarand; safedhind; safedind; shanbari; sutasheni; tiravade; vellaiyamanankku; vrisha; yerand
• Indonesia/Java: dijark
• Iran: dandebarri dandenahri
• Italy: fava purgatrice; giatrofa catarcita; ricino maggiore
• Lesser Antilles: médicinier barrière
• Mali: baga-ni; iridingue
• Mauritius: pignon d'Inde
• Mexico: avellanes purgantes; pinon Mexicano; sangregaod
• Micronesia, Federated states of: sáfeen kinas
• Mozambique: sassi
• Myanmar: kesugi; thinbankyekku; thinbaukyeksu; thinbawkyetsu
• Nepal: kadam
• Netherlands: purgeernoot
• Philippines: bolongcauit; casta; cator; kator; taatava; tuba
• Puerto Rico: tartago
• Saint Lucia: medsinnyè beni
• Samoa: lau pata; puavai
• Saudi Arabia: pignon d'Inde
• Senegal: tuba
• Sierra Leone: bagauro
• Sri Lanka: kaddamanakku
• Tonga: fiki
• USA/Hawaii: kuikui Pake; kuku‘ihi

EPPO code

• IATCU (Jatropha curcas)

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Euphorbiales
•                         Family: Euphorbiaceae
•                             Genus: Jatropha
•                                 Species: Jatropha curcas

The name Jatropha curcas was first used by Linnaeus, and although there are a number of synonyms this name is still valid today. J. curcas is in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, which is a pantropical family including 228 genera and over 6500 species of trees and shrubs (The Plant List, 2013). The genus Jatropha belongs to the tribe Jatropheae of the subfamily Crotonoideae. The genus comprises about 180 species, most of them in warm temperate and subtropical regions and the seasonally dry tropics.

Dehgan and Webster (1979) revised the subdivision made by Pax (1910) and now distinguish two subgenera (Curcas and Jatropha) of the genus Jatropha, with 10 sections and 10 subsections to accommodate the Old and New World species. They postulated the physic nut (Jatropha curcas L. [sect. Curcas (Adans.) Griseb., subg. Curcas (Adans.) Pax]) to be the most primitive form of the Jatropha genus. Species in other sections evolved from the physic nut or another ancestral form, with changes in growth habit and flower structures. Hierarchical cluster analysis of 77 New World Jatropha species showed for the most part concordance with Dehgan and Webster's (1979) infrageneric classification (Dehgan and Schutzman, 1994). Further cladistic analysis supported the Dehgan and Webster (1979) evolutionary model of the genus Jatropha.

Other Jatropha species in the section Curcas include: J. pseudo-curcas, J. afrocurcas, J. macrophylla, J. villosa (syn.: J. wightiana), J. hintonii, J. bartlettii, J. mcvaughii and J. yucatanensis. McVaugh (1945) considered J. yucatanensis to be a synonym of J. curcas. One species, J. villosa, is of Indian origin (Ahmedullah and Nayar, 1987). Two species, J. afrocurcas and J. macrophylla, are of East African origin, whereas all the other species in this section are native to the Americas.

J. curcas is a shrub or treelet, 2-5 m tall, with watery latex; bark smooth; branches glaucous-gray, glabrous, sparsely lenticellate, pith larger. Stipules small; petioles 6-18 cm; leaf blade rotund to ovate, 7-18 × 6-16 cm, papery, nitid green and glabrous adaxially, gray-green and along nerves puberulent to glabrous abaxially, base cordate, apex acute; palmate veins 5-7. Inflorescences axillary, 6-10 cm; bracts lanceolate, 4-8 mm. Male flowers: sepals 5, approximately 4 mm, connate at base; petals oblong, green-yellow, approximately 6 mm, connate to middle, hairy inside; disk glands 5, nearly terete; stamens 10; outer 5 filaments free, inner filaments connate in lower part. Female flowers: pedicels elongate; sepals free, approximately 6 mm; petals and disk glands as in male; ovary 3-locular, glabrous; styles bifid at apex. Capsules ellipsoidal or globose, 2.5-3 cm, yellow. Seeds ellipsoidal, 1.5-2 cm, black (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2015).

It was widely distributed throughout the tropics as an ornamental and medicinal plant, and was probably distributed by Portuguese seafarers via Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau to other countries in Africa and Asia. Freitas (1906), notes that it was already known in Cape Verde several years prior to 1810. Chelmicki and Varnhagen (1841) mention that exports of J. curcas nuts had already begun in 1836, and many decrees were published in the ‘Boletim Oficial de Cabo Verde’ from 1843 onwards to promote its planting (Freitas, 1906; Serra, 1950). Burkill (1966) assumes that the Portuguese brought it to Asia, but suggests that it may not have reached Malacca, Indonesia until the Dutch were in possession, for the Malays call it by a name meaning ‘Dutch castor oil’. The Javanese, among other names, call it Chinese castor oil. It is regarded in most countries, in Africa as well as in the East, as the 'castor oil plant', which shows that it was brought in and planted for the oil and it is widely known as the 'hedge castor oil plant', showing where it was mostly planted. In the West Indies, J. curcas appears in herbarium collection made in 1865 in Trinidad and Tobago, 1881 in Dominica, 1885 in Puerto Rico and 1893 in Guadeloupe (US National Herbarium).

Soil drainage

• free
• impeded

Soil reaction

• alkaline
• neutral

Soil texture

• light
• medium

Special soil tolerances

• infertile
• saline
• shallow
• sodic

J. curcas has been deliberately introduced into many areas as a crop plant and this has been the principle means of long-distance dispersal. Locally, vehicles and machinery aid the spread of Jatropha through the movement of capsules and seed, vegetative parts of the plant, and soil containing seeds. Livestock also assist in the spread through the movement of seed and aid in establishment by the selective grazing of other more palatable but competitive species (Pitt, 1999). Naturally, capsules split open when ripe to eject seeds some distance, though gravity may be more important on sloped sites. Seeds are also dispersed by water and some spread occurs from the tuberous roots which sucker. In Burkina Faso, Negussie et al. (2015) have observed dispersal by small mammals and arthropods, particularly rodents and ants, and state that up to 98% secondary dispersal by animals was recorded at some sites. In Zambia, primary seed dispersal of J. curcas was limited: rodents and shrews dispersed and predated seeds and fruits, but none of the seeds repositioned in their burrows could establish (Negussie et al., 2013a).

J. curcas has received most attention recently for its perceived potential as a future ‘miracle’ crop, as a source of biofuels, though in reality, there are few accurate and detailed reports that quantify the actual economic benefits that can be accrued (e.g. Goswami, 2006 and other chapters in the same book). Wani et al. (2006) observed that as increasing energy demand and spiraling oil prices are causing financial strain and environmental degradation, the use of non-edible oil as biodiesel provides a win-win proposition for densely populated Asian countries. However, there are negative impacts of possible invasion from biofuel crops which are being increasingly recognised, e.g. by Raghu et al. (2006) and Low and Booth (2007), and further comparison of positive and negative impacts are required for J. curcas as well as many other biofuel crops.

The rapid spread of J. curcas in natural forests is a problem in many areas through damaging the natural flora. It competes with native species and has the potential to form dense thickets or colonies. Allelopathic studies conducted to evaluate the effects of different parts of J. curcas on germination and seedling vigour of different medicinal herbs revealed that J. curcas can damage the biodiversity of Chhattisgarh, India. Its increasing infestation in pasture lands, forests, and National Parks is becoming a potential threat to existing biodiversity. Vitexin and isovitexin, stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol from leaves have been identified as allelochemicals that are considered to be responsible for the harmful effects of J. curcas on neighbouring plants (Rastogi and Mehrotra, 1991), and harmful allelopathic effects on germination and seedling vigour of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan), rice, chickpeas and lentils have been reported (Oudhia, 2000).

Further studies on the actually environmental impacts of J. curcas are needed, especially where known to be invasive already such as on Pacific islands, and attempts must be made to assess the merits and demerits of this species as an invasive weed or valuable biofuel crop. Negussie et al. (2015) suggested that in Burkina Faso, despite warnings about the invasive potential of J. curcas, there was no convincing evidence of natural spread or significant environmental impact. Negussie et al. (2013b) reported that their risk assessments which classified J. curcas as a species with high invasiveness risk, were in contradiction with recent experimental evidence. A risk assessment for Florida suggested that the species has a high probability of becoming invasive (Gordon et al., 2011), while Bridgemohan and Bridgemohan (2014) conducted a risk assessment for the Caribbean islands and say that J. curucas should not be considered as a bioenergy crop within the ecological limits of their study.

J. curcas is poisonous to livestock and to people if seeds of J. curcas are consumed (Makkar and Becker, 1998), and overdoses cause severe diarrhoea and possible death. Presence of this weed in populated areas is considered to be dangerous, as deaths, particularly in children due to accidental intake have been common in India. The presence of this weed in bunds and wastelands creates an obstruction to the movement of livestock, and cases of poisoning among cattle are also common.

• Invasive in its native range
• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Has a broad native range
• Abundant in its native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Is a habitat generalist
• Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
• Highly mobile locally
• Long lived
• Fast growing
• Has high reproductive potential
• Has propagules that can remain viable for more than one year
• Reproduces asexually
• Has high genetic variability

• Damaged ecosystem services
• Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
• Modification of nutrient regime
• Modification of successional patterns
• Monoculture formation
• Negatively impacts agriculture
• Negatively impacts human health
• Negatively impacts animal health
• Reduced native biodiversity

• Allelopathic
• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Competition - shading
• Poisoning
• Rapid growth

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately