Jatropha curcas characteristics

Here I share with you about characteristics of Jatropha curcas L.



Leaves:
dark green; alternate, simple,ovate to slightly lobed with 3-5 indentations. Up to 15 cm wide. It petioles is about 10cm long.



Flowers:
yellow green in colour, borne in axils of the leaves and small. They are mostly hidden by foliage.


Fruit:
small capsule-like, round or sphere shape of fruit, and about 2.5 - 4 cm in diameter. These are green and fleshy when immature, becoming yellow to dark brown when ripe and contain 2 or 3 black seeds each about 2 cm long. The meat of the seeds is white and oily in texture and are reported to have an agreeable taste.


Seeds:
Their seeds is in the round fruits which are black in color. Their seeds are about 2cm long and 1g weight. Sometimes their weight can reach to 1.5g-1.7g each. It is depend on their seeds size. The oil of Jatropha come from the meat that located inside the seed and the capsule of the seeds is easily broken cause just thin layer.

Habitat:
Widely cultivated as an ornamental because it can be like fences. It is also planted at arid environments.