64 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, XV. 



its leaves. Hence as a hedge-plant it is very serviceable as already 

 noted in ray foregoing remarks. I may here emphasiza the fact that 

 Jatropha curcas is one of the Euphorbiaceous plants in which each 

 plant without exception develops both true staminate and pistillate 

 flowers on one and the same flower stalk. Jt must be further observed 

 that the members of the Euphorbiales, not to speak of the genera only 

 but also of the specimens of the species and varieties locally obtained, 

 differ at times very widely in individual, development of parts of the 

 plant under local influences of soil and climate. But what I have 

 noted abovo is the result of ray personal observation of this plant in 

 its living condition in Bombay, Thana, Satara, and Ratnagiri. 



I have noted above that Dr. Dymock speaks of the seed of Jatropha 

 curcas as Pignon d'lnde. Just a word of warning to my readers. 1 

 find from Baillon's Natural History of Plants, translated from his 

 elaborate French work by Marcus Hartog, that there are two kinds of 

 Pignon d'lnde, viz. — the large and the small. The large one is the 

 seed of Jatropha curcas, otherwise called by Baillon as the Jatropha of 

 Barbadoes (Castiglionia lobata, R. el Pav.). The small Pignon of India 

 is the seed of Croton Tiglium, the oil of which is much more deadly 

 (p. 162, Vol. V., 1878, London. Baillon's Translation into English by 

 M. Hartog.) 



From Paxton's Botanical Dictionary it appears that Jatropha curcas 

 was introduced into England from South America in 1731. It is 

 noted as an ever-green plant ( p. 310, Edition by IS. Hereman, 1868, 

 London). 



Baillon remarks that the wood of Jatropha curcas is " soft, easily 

 decaying ; palisades are however made in the Indies" (West — K. R. K.). 

 Baillon further adds that Jatropha curcas is used for hedge rows in the 

 Antilles (Marcus Hartog's English Translation of Baillon, Vol. V., 

 p. 175). 



POISONOUS PROPERTIES. 



The seeds of Jatropha curcas are poisonous. They produce, when 

 taken internally, vomiting and drastic purging. The oil obtained from 

 the seeds has similar effects. " The seeds are employed by the native 

 doctors of the Philippine Islands and considered excellent and mild 

 purgatives in doses of from one to four seeds. The effects which result 

 from an overdose are vomiting, purging, a burning sensation in the 



