Jatropha

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Jatropha

Spicy jatropha (Jatropha integerrima)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily:	Crotonoideae
Tribe:	Jatropheae
Genus:	Jatropha

Species

Approximately 175, see Section Species.

Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulents, shrubs and trees (some are deciduous, like Jatropha curcas L.), from the family Euphorbiaceae.

Plants from the genus natively occur in India, Africa, North America, and the Caribbean.

Originating in the Caribbean, the jatropha was spread as a valuable hedge plant to Africa and Asia by Portuguese traders.

The mature small trees bear male and female inflorescence, and do not grow very tall.

1 Vegoil and Biodiesel
2 Species
3 Synonyms
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Vegoil and Biodiesel

Main article: Jatropha oil

Currently the oil from Jatropha curcas seeds is widely used for making biodiesel fuel in India, and is being promoted as an easily grown biofuel crop in hundreds of projects throughout India and the third world ^[1]. The rail line between Mumbai and Delhi is planted with Jatropha and the train itself runs on 15-20% biodiesel.

The plant can grow in wastelands, and it yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean, and more than ten times that of corn. A hectare of jatropha produces 1,892 liters of fuel. Also Jatropha is a one-stage conversion to biodiesel ^[2]

[edit] Species

Here are some selected species, with use:

Jatropha cuneata (limberbush) stems are used for basketmaking by the Seri people in Sonora, Mexico, whose name for it is haat [ʔaat]. The stems are roasted, split and soaked through an elaborate process of preparation and elaboration. The reddish color dye that is often used is made from the root of another species of plant (Krameria grayi), not from this one.
Jatropha curcas, also called physic nut, is used to produce the non-edible Jatropha oil, for making candles and soap, and as a feedstock for the production of biodiesel. The cakes remaining after the oil is pressed can be used as feed in digesters and gasifiers to produce biogas for cooking and in engines, or the cakes can be used for fertilizing, and sometimes even as animal fodder; alternatively, the entire seed (with oil) can be used in digesters to produce biogas. Large plantings and nurseries of this tree have been undertaken in India by numerous research institutions, and by women's Self Help Groups, who use a system of microcredit to ease poverty among the nation's semi-literate population of women. Extracts from this species have also been shown to have anti-tumor activity. The seeds can be used as a remedy for constipation, wounds can be dressed with the sap, and the leaves can be boiled to obtain a malaria and fever remedy.
Jatropha gossypifolia, also called bellyache bush: its fruits and foliage are toxic to humans and animals. It is a major weed in Australia.
Jatropha podagrica was used to tan leather and produce a red dye in Mexico and the Southwestern United States. May also be used as a house plant.