Jatropha gossypiifolia L.
var. elegans (Pohl) Müll. Arg.

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Photo: Stefaan Dondeyne
Mungari town, Guro district.

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Synonyms:	Jatropha elegans (Pohl) Klotzsch
Common names:	Bellyache bush (English) Red physic nut (English)
Frequency:	Locally common
Status:	Introduced
Description:	Multi-stemmed shrub. Stems and branches hollow, purple, covered in stalked glands (image 3). Leaves crowded near the ends of branches, palmately 3-5-lobed, dark purple when young, turning olive-green with age, margins and petioles with hair-like stalked glands. Flowers in terminal clusters, deep red with a yellow centre. Fruit a 3-lobed capsule.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	gossypiifolia: with leaves like a Gossypium, i.e. palmately lobed
Habitat:	Near rivers and particularly in disturbed areas.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Native to tropical America from Mexico to Paraguay and naturalised elsewhere
Mozambique distribution:	N,T,MS,GI
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Wednesday 1 August 2012
Literature:	Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 149. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 42. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 49. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Page 259.

Other sources of information about Jatropha gossypiifolia var. elegans:

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Flora of Malawi: Jatropha gossypiifolia var. elegans
Flora of Zambia: Jatropha gossypiifolia var. elegans
Flora of Zimbabwe: Jatropha gossypiifolia var. elegans
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Jatropha gossypiifolia var. elegans

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Jatropha gossypiifolia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Jatropha gossypiifolia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Jatropha gossypiifolia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Jatropha gossypiifolia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Jatropha gossypiifolia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Jatropha gossypiifolia
JSTOR Plant Science: Jatropha gossypiifolia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Jatropha gossypiifolia
Plants of the World Online: Jatropha gossypiifolia
Tropicos: Jatropha gossypiifolia
Wikipedia: Jatropha gossypiifolia