Jatropha  

Small trees, shrubs or herbs with stems arising from a thick perennial root, succulent or not, monoecious or rarely dioecious. Exudate (from cut stems) present, reddish or clear. Unarmed*. Glabrous throughout or indumentum present, hairs simple or glandular. Stipules free*, simple, lobed or unlobed, entire or toothed to deeply divided, sometimes spine-like* not leaf-like*, sometimes glandular. Leaves distributed evenly along stem, alternate, or borne in clusters, simple, lobed or unlobed, base symmetrical, margin toothed or entire, blade not pellucid-punctate, glands on leaf base or petiole apex present or absent; with 3 – 7 strong veins from base or venation pinnate; domatia absent*; stipel-like structures absent*. Petiole present, or absent (leaves sessile), without swellings or bends at base or apex*, sometimes glandular. Inflorescence with axis, commonly terminal, less often axillary, often corymbiform or cymose, commonly bisexual (female flowers sometimes 1 per inflorescence*), male and female flowers sometimes* developing at different times; bracts usually entire, sometimes deeply divided, glandular or not, leaf-like* or not, green; pedicels present, not articulated*. Male flowers: sepals 4–6; imbricate, partially fused, greenish; petals 5, imbricate, partially fused or free, greenish, orange or red, glabrous; disc outside the staminal whorl (extrastaminal), annular, entire, or comprised of 5 free disc glands; stamens (6) 8–10, in 1–2 whorls, filaments free (?) or partially fused into a column; anther without conspicuous modification, thecae in bud extrorse, introrse or latrorse; pistillode absent. Female flowers: sepals 4–6; imbricate, partially fused, greenish, sometimes leaf-like (enlarged relative to other floral parts?); petals 5, imbricate, free or partially fused, greenish, orange or red, glabrous; disc surrounding the ovary, annular, entire, or comprised of 5 free disc glands; ovary locules 1–5, ovules per locule 1; styles 1–5, partially or completely fused (stigmas may be free), style entire*, (i.e. ultimate divisions per locule 1), stigmas not flat*, 2-branched at apex, surface smooth*; staminodes present or absent. Fruit dehiscent or rarely indehiscent, not sculptured*, greenish to brown; seed carunculate, with no other covering or membranous layer; embryo flat, not minute, cotyledons leaf-like.

An asterisk * indicates a state has been assumed but not yet confirmed.

About 175 spp.