Barbados nut

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Barbados nut
• Grave Physic Nut
• Barbados-nut
• bubblebush
• purgenut
• purgingnut
• Bed Bug Plant
• Big-Purge Nut
• Big-Purge Nut Seed
• Black Vomit Nut
• Black Vomit Nut Seed
• Brazilian Stinging Nut
• Cuban Physic Nut
• Hell Oil
• Physic Nut Tree
• Pinhoen oil
• Purgeerboonjie
• Purging Nut Tree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Ricinus americanus
• Jatropha yucatanensis
• Jatropha acerifolia
• Curcas adansonii
• Curcas indica
• Manihot curcas
• Ricinus jarak
• Jatropha edulis
• Hydnocarpus corymbosus
• Jatropha afrocurcas
• Hedera corymbosa
• Curcas lobata
• Curcas purgans
• Curcas drastica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Malpighiales, it is classified under the family Euphorbiaceae and the genus Jatropha.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several distinct regions. In Macaronesia, its presence is specifically noted in Cape Verde. Moving toward the mainland, it is found within West Tropical Africa in several different nations. These locations include Benin, Burkina, and the Gambia. Additionally, the species can be located within the territory of Guinea-Bissau.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Jatropha curcas is characterized by its ability to thrive across a wide vertical gradient, occupying an elevational range that spans from 0 m AMSL to a maximum of 1850 m AMSL. This broad altitudinal tolerance allows the species to colonize diverse landscapes, ranging from low-lying coastal plains to higher mountainous terrains. Regarding its preferred habitat, the species is highly adaptable and can be found in various environments, often colonizing disturbed areas, open scrublands, and degraded lands where sunlight is abundant.

Elevational range max:

1850 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

(?)

Genetics

The genetics of Jatropha curcas are characterized by a complex cytogenetic profile that includes varying ploidy levels. The chromosome number within the species is noted to be 22, 44, or 88, indicating the presence of diploid, tetraploid, and octoploid individuals. This genomic plasticity and the occurrence of polyploidy play a significant role in the plant's evolutionary adaptability and its ability to exhibit diverse morphological and physiological traits. Such chromosomal variations are central to understanding the genetic diversity and breeding potential of the species.

Chromosome number :

22, 44, 88

Life history

The life history of Jatropha curcas is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth habit, it functions as a nanophanerophyte, maintaining its woody stems and reproductive structures above the ground level. The plant also exhibits a deciduous nature, meaning it undergoes a seasonal shedding of its foliage as part of its natural growth cycle.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Jatropha curcas is characterized by a woody growth form, primarily functioning as a self-supporting shrub. This terrestrial plant exhibits significant variation in stature, with heights ranging from a minimum of 0.5 m to a maximum of 15 m, though it typically maintains a mean plant height of approximately 3 m. As an independent organism, it does not exhibit parasitic behavior and is classified as a terrestrial species rather than an aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic one. Its structural development is defined by its woody nature and its ability to remain self-supporting without the need for climbing or liana-like habits.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

15 m

Plant height mean:

3 m

Plant height min:

0.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Jatropha curcas is characterized by specific morphological adaptations and metabolic profiles, particularly regarding its foliar development and nutrient acquisition. The leaves exhibit significant morphological variability, with mean lengths measuring approximately 12.5 cm, though they can range from a minimum of 7 cm to a maximum of 40 cm. In terms of lateral expansion, the leaf width varies from a minimum of 6 cm to a maximum of 16 cm. Despite its ability to thrive in various environments, the plant does not exhibit succulence, maintaining standard leaf tissue hydration rather than specialized water-storage structures. Furthermore, from a nutritional standpoint, Jatropha curcas does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on soil nitrogen availability rather than symbiotic diazotrophic processes to support its physiological growth and development.

Leaf length max:

40 cm

Leaf length mean:

12.5 cm

Leaf length min:

7 cm

Leaf width max:

16 cm

Leaf width min:

6 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

Reproduction in Jatropha curcas is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, primarily driven by insects. The plant's reproductive structure features inflorescences that typically range in length from a minimum of 0.06 m to a maximum of 0.1 m. Self-fertilization is present within the species, facilitating its reproductive cycle. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fruits that vary in length, with a mean measurement of 2.75 cm, ranging from a minimum of 2.5 cm to a maximum of 3 cm. These fruits are dehiscence-type, meaning they split open at maturity to release their seeds. The seeds themselves exhibit specific physical dimensions, with lengths ranging from 15 mm to 22 mm. In terms of mass, the seeds have a mean weight of approximately 0.531 g, with individual seed masses falling between a minimum of 0.4219 g and a maximum of 0.72647 g. The dispersal of these seeds is classified as anthropochorous, indicating that human activity plays a role in their distribution.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Fruit length max:

3 cm

Fruit length mean:

2.75 cm

Fruit length min:

2.5 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.1 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.06 m

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed length max:

22 mm

Seed length min:

15 mm

Seed mass max:

0.72647 g

Seed mass mean:

0.530986667 g

Seed mass min:

0.4219 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Jatropha curcas has 5 reported plant parts identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed, leaf, stem, fruit, root.

Seed

1. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
2. Acta pharmacologica Sinica
3. Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH
4. DTW. Deutsche tierarztliche Wochenschrift
5. Veterinary and human toxicology

Leaf

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Veterinary parasitology
3. Parasitology research
4. East African medical journal

Stem

1. Nigerian journal of physiological sciences : official publication of the Physiological Society of Nigeria
2. Phytochemistry

Fruit

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Root

1. Research communications in chemical pathology and pharmacology

Chemicals

Jatropha curcas has 62 reported phytochemicals identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Glycosides, Saponins, Tannins, Isovitexin.

Flavonoids

1. Scientific reports
2. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
3. Saudi journal of biological sciences
4. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Glycosides

1. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
2. Nigerian journal of physiological sciences : official publication of the Physiological Society of Nigeria
3. Saudi journal of biological sciences
4. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Saponins

1. Scientific reports
2. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
3. Nigerian journal of physiological sciences : official publication of the Physiological Society of Nigeria
4. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Tannins

1. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
2. Nigerian journal of physiological sciences : official publication of the Physiological Society of Nigeria
3. Saudi journal of biological sciences
4. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Isovitexin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Phenols

1. Scientific reports
2. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine

Steroids

1. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
2. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Terpenoids

1. Scientific reports
2. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine

Vitexin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

apigenin

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
2. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Jatropha curcas has 165 reported activities identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor, ACE-Inhibitor.

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. PeerJ

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Absorbent

1. Dr. Duke

Acetylcholinergic

1. Dr. Duke

Aggregant

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allergenic

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Jatropha curcas has 25 reported investigations on conditions identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Plasmodium falciparum, malaria, Ascaris Lumbricoides, Aspergillus niger, Bacillus.

Plasmodium falciparum

1. Turkish journal of pharmaceutical sciences
2. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences

Malaria

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
2. Pharmaceutical biology

Ascaris lumbricoides

1. East African medical journal

Aspergillus niger

1. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Bacillus

1. East African medical journal

E. coli

1. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Necator americanus

1. East African medical journal

Staphylococcus

1. East African medical journal

Antidiabetic

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Cancer

1. PeerJ

Preparations

Jatropha curcas has 27 reported preparations identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include ethanolic extracts, methanol extract, AM-1, Diluted latex, Methanolic extracts.

Ethanolic extracts

1. Turkish journal of pharmaceutical sciences
2. Veterinary parasitology

Methanol extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Parasitology research

Am-1

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Diluted latex

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Methanolic extracts

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Biofuel

1. BMC research notes

Chloroform extract

1. Parasitology research

Crude powdered sample

1. Nigerian journal of physiological sciences : official publication of the Physiological Society of Nigeria

Crushed leaves

1. East African medical journal

Dichloromethane extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology