• Scientific Name: Jatropha integerrima Jacq.
• Ref: Enum. Syst. Pl.:32. 1763
• Synonyms:
  • Adenoropium hastatum (Jacq.) Britton & P.Wilson
  • A. integerrimum (Jacq.) Pohl
  • A. pandurifolium (Andrews) Pohl
  • Jatropha acuminata Desr.
  • J. coccinea Link
  • J. diversifolia A.Rich.
  • J. hastata Jacq.
  • J. moluensis Sessé & Moc.
  • J. pandurifolia Andrews
• English Common Name: spicy jatropha, peregrina
• Chinese Common Name: 琴叶珊瑚花 qínyè shānhú∙huā, 变叶珊瑚花 biànyè shānhú∙huā, 日日樱 rìrì∙yīng
• Japanese Common Name: テイキンザクラ [提琴桜] teikinzakura
• Family: Euphorbiaceae
• Genus: Jatropha
• Distribution: native to West Indies
• Photo: 06/21/2009, South China Botanical Garden, Guangdong

Shrubs, to 2.5–5 m, monoecious. Stems erect, dark brown, striate, much-branched, woody, glabrous; short shoots absent; latex watery, colorless in younger shoots, cloudy-whitish in older branches. Leaves persistent, ± evenly distributed on long shoots; stipules absent; petiole 1–5.5 cm, not stipitate-glandular; blade elliptic-ovate, obovate, lyrate, or panduriform, 7.5–15.3 × 2.9–12.5 cm, unlobed or shallowly 3-lobed, base rounded, cordate, or cuneate, margins entire (sometimes with 2–4 glands or hairs at base), apex acuminate, membranous to ± coriaceous, surfaces glabrous; venation pinnate (palmate if lobed). Inflorescences bisexual, terminal and subterminal, cymes; peduncle 5.2–21 cm; bracts 1–12 mm, margins entire, glabrous. Pedicels 2–8 mm. Staminate flowers: sepals distinct, ovate, 2.5–3(–4) × 1–1.7 mm, margins entire, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous; corolla bright red to scarlet or pink, rotate, petals distinct, 8.4–12.1 × 2.5–4.3 mm, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial with tufts of hairs near base; stamens 10 in 2 whorls (5 + 5); filaments of each whorl connate 1/2–3/4 length, outer whorl 4–9 mm, inner whorl 5–12 mm. Pistillate flowers resembling staminate, but sepals 3.1–3.8 × 1.2–2.2 mm; petals 9–17 × 5–10 mm; carpels 3; styles connate 1/2 length, 3–4 mm. Capsules ovoid, 1–1.3 × 0.7–1.1 cm, explosively dehiscent. Seeds cream, mottled with red and black spots, ellipsoidal, 7–10 × 4–6.5 mm; caruncle relatively small, conspicuous. 2n = 22. (FNA Vol. 12)

06/21/2009, South China Botanical Garden