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Goutystalk Nettlespurge

Jatropha podagrica

Photo by Latimeria
Published on Project Noah
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9.93333, -84.0833

Field Notes

Description:

First image is the flower, second is of the fruit and the leaf. Flowers are red and similar to Coral Jatropha (Jatropha multifida), but the leaves are different.

Habitat:

Urban.

Notes:

All parts of the plant are toxic to some extent. It attracts a variety of butterflies.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (4)

You were close Alice, it was definitely in the Jatropha genus. And the flowers do look similar, but the swollen stem at the bottom of the plant and the leaves give it away. Thanks for your help though, I wouldn't have figured it out otherwise!
I could be wrong ,but the flowers and fruit are exactly as you show. I have two Jatrophas in my yard and they are quite different in structure.
Alice, I researched Jatropha multifida, but the leaves for that plant are radically different from these ones. This specimen is not full grown, but I wouldn't expect the leaves to be as drastically different if it was the same species. I've added another picture of the structure the plant grows from--maybe that will help.
Photographed
PublishedFebruary 20, 2011

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