Jatropha multifida (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Jatropha multifida L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 2: 1006 (1753).

Synonyms

• Adenoropium multifidum (L.) Pohl (1827),
• Jatropha janipha Blanco (1837).

Vernacular names

• Coral plant, French physic nut, Spanish physic nut (En).
• Arbre corail, médicinier d'Espagne, noisetier purgatif (Fr)
• Indonesia: jarak cina (Javanese), jarak gurita (Sundanese), balacai batai (Ternate)
• Philippines: mana (Filipino), tubang amerikano (Bikol)
• Cambodia: lohong khvang kraham
• Thailand: fin ton, malako farang (Bangkok), ma hung daeng (northern)
• Vietnam: dầu mè dỏ, bạch phụ tử.

Distribution

J. multifida is native to tropical America from Mexico to Paraguay; it was introduced as an ornamental into the Old World tropics long ago. Within Malesia it is cultivated at least in Peninsular Malaysia, Java, the Moluccas and the Philippines.

Uses

The seed oil of J. multifida is sometimes used as a cathartic, although it may cause strong irritation and even poisoning. The oil is applied both internally and externally as an abortifacient. Seeds are used fresh as a purgative and emetic. The latex is used externally in the treatment of infected wounds, ulcers, skin infections and scabies. In Indonesia one of its local names is "yodium" ("iodine"), which reflects the popular use as a wound-healing remedy. In Indo-China, dried roots are given as a decoction against indigestion and colic; they are also prescribed as a tonic to treat orchitis and oedemas. The leaves are used as a purgative, and in the treatment of dysentery and scabies. J. multifida is widely grown, often in hedges, for its ornamental foliage and flowers. The tuberous roots can be eaten after roasting. The plant may also be used as a fish poison.

Observations

• A glabrous, slightly succulent shrub or small tree up to 6 m tall with white latex, roots tuberous.
• Leaf blade peltate, broadly ovate-orbicular, 15-35 cm in diameter, palmatipartite with (9-)11(-12) segments, segments simple to deeply pinnatipartite, petiole 10-25(-35) cm long.
• Inflorescence tightly corymb-shaped, peduncle up to 23 cm long.
• Male flowers with broadly ovate calyx lobes, about 1 mm long, petals free, about 5 mm long, scarlet, stamens 8, filaments free; female flowers with petals up to 9 mm long, stigmas capitate, bilobed.
• Fruit tardily dehiscent to subdrupaceous, broadly obovoid, about 3 cm long, 3-lobed with keeled lobes, yellow when mature.
• Seeds 1.7-2 cm long, buff, mottled brownish, with a small caruncle.

J. multifida occasionally escapes from cultivation into grassland and thickets, generally at low altitudes.

Selected sources

• [97] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1963-1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1963) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• [122] Banerji, R. et al., 1985. Jatropha seed oils for energy. Biomass 8(4): 277-282.
• [202] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A-H) pp. 1-1240. Vol. 2 (I-Z) pp. 1241-2444.
• [287] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948-1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India.
• [332] de Padua, L.S., Lugod, G.C. & Pancho, J.V., 1977-1983. Handbook on Philippine medicinal plants. 4 volumes. Documentation and Information Section, Office of the Director of Research, University of the Philippines at Los Baños, the Philippines.
• [338] Dehgan, B. & Webster, G.L., 1979. Morphology and infrageneric relationships of the genus Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae). University of California Publications in Botany 74. University of California Press, Berkeley & Los Angeles, United States. 73 pp. & 33 plates.
• [771] Kosasi, S., van der Sluis, W.G., Boelens, R., 't Hart, L.A. & Labadie, R.P, 1989. Labaditin, a novel cyclic peptide from the latex of Jatropha multifida L. FEBS Letters 256: 91-96.
• [772] Kosasi, S., van der Sluis, W.G. & Labadie, R.P., 1989. Multifidol and Multifidol glucoside from the latex of Jatropha multifida. Phytochemistry 28: 2439-2441.
• [1035] Nguyen Van Duong, 1993. Medicinal plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Mekong Printing, Santa Ana, California, United States. 528 pp.
• [1128] Pételot, A., 1952-1954. Les plantes médicinales du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [The medicinal plants of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. 4 volumes. Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques et Techniques, Saigon, Vietnam.
• [1178] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
• [1187] Radcliffe-Smith, A., 1987. Euphorbiaceae (Part 1). In: Polhill, R. (Editor): Flora of Tropical East Africa. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, the Netherlands & Boston, United States. pp. 1-407.
• [1380] Smitinand, T., 1980. Thai plant names. Royal Forest Department, Bangkok, Thailand. 379 pp.
• [1501] van den Berg, A.J.J., Horsten, S.F.A.J., Kettenes-van den Bosch, J.J., Kroes, B.H. & Labadie, R.P., 1995b. Multifidin, a cyanoglucoside in the latex of Jatropha multifida. Phytochemistry 40: 597-598.

Main genus page

• Jatropha (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• S. Susiarti, E. Munawaroh & S.F.A.J. Horsten