ragged nettlespurge

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• ragged nettlespurge

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Jatropha arizonica
• Jatropha macrorhiza var. septemfida

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. It is further classified within the order Malpighiales and the family Euphorbiaceae. Finally, it is identified under the genus Jatropha.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across several regions in North America. In the Southwestern United States, it can be found growing in Arizona. Its range extends further into the South-Central United States, specifically within the states of New Mexico and Texas. Moving south into Mexico, the species is established in the Northeast region. Additionally, the plant is commonly located throughout the Northwest part of Mexico.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Jatropha macrorhiza is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its ecological strategy and structural adaptation, the plant functions as a geophyte, relying on underground storage organs to survive unfavorable environmental conditions. Furthermore, its life form is classified as a cryptophyte, meaning its regenerative buds are protected below the soil surface, ensuring its survival and ability to re-emerge during favorable climatic cycles.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Jatropha macrorhiza is characterized by a growth form primarily categorized as a herb or a forb. It functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte, maintaining a terrestrial existence rather than an aquatic or semiaquatic one. Structurally, the plant is non-woody in nature and does not exhibit climbing habits, as it is neither a liana, a vine, nor a self-supporting climber, instead maintaining its upright stature through its herbaceous architecture.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Reproduction

The reproduction of Jatropha macrorhiza is primarily centered around the production and dispersal of its seeds, which exhibit a highly consistent morphological profile. Based on quantitative data, the seeds are characterized by a uniform weight, with a recorded seed mass mean, maximum, and minimum all measuring exactly 0.101 g. This lack of variance in seed mass suggests a highly standardized reproductive output per seed, ensuring that each unit carries a specific and predictable amount of nutrient reserves to facilitate germination. The stability of this trait—where the mass remains constant at 0.101 g across all observed samples—indicates a specialized evolutionary strategy in seed development, likely optimized for the specific environmental conditions required for the successful establishment of new seedlings.

Seed mass mean:

0.101 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Jatropha macrorhiza has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Acetylaleuritolic acid.

Acetylaleuritolic acid

1. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences