return to: checklist; keys; family Euphorbiaceae subfamily Crotonoideae
Shrub
with milky latex; leaves alternate, simple, palmately lobed and
veined; leaf lobes with acuminate apices; inflorescence axillary,
a long-pedicellate cluster of several congested cymes; flowers
greenish yellow, pistillate on early cyme branches, staminate
ultimate cyme branches; fruit an explosively dehiscent capsule.
Additional images (photographed at UADY Veterinary School):
The oily seeds are well known for their purgative properties. Too many consumed raw can be poisonous, roasted, they are described as "well-flavored and edible" (Standley 1930). Branchlets inserted into the soil readily strike root, and consequently, the plant is often grown as a living fence.
Jatropha gaumeri, a close relative, can be distinguished by its unlobed, broadly cordate leaves.
