J A T 



J A T 



JATROPHA, a genus containing plants of 

 the (lowtrinii shrul)by perennial kind. 



It belons;s to the class and order Murweda 

 Monadtlp/ua, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Tricoccce. 



The characters are : that in the male flowers 

 the calyx is a scarcely manifest perianthiuni : 

 the corolla onc-petalled, funnel-form : tube 

 very short : border five-parted: divisions round- 

 ish, spreading, convex, concave beneath : tlie 

 stamina have ten awl-shaped filaments, approxi- 

 mated in the middle : the five alternate ones 

 shorter, upright, shorter than the corolla: an- 

 thers roundish, versatile : the pistillum is a 

 weak rudiment, latent in the bottom of the 

 flower : female flowers in the same umbel with 

 the males : calyx none: the corolla five-petalled, 

 rosaceous: the pistillum is a roundish, three- 

 furrowed germ : styles three, bifid : stigmas 

 simple : the pericarpium is a roundish capsule, 

 tricoccous, three-celled, cells bivalve : the seeds 

 solitary and roundish. 



The species cultivated are: ].J. gossypifoUa, 

 Cotton-leaved Physic -nut, or Wild Cassava; 

 2. J. mvltifida, French Physic-nut; 3. J.ma- 

 nihot, Eatable-rooted Physic-nut, or Cassava; 

 4. J. mens, Stinging Physic-nut. 



The first has the stem from two to three feet 

 high, herbaceous, branched, smooth : the 

 branches subdivided, round, beset at the base 

 with branched glanduliferous cilias or bristles : 

 the leaves are digitate, veined, tender, often 

 three-lobed : lobes acute, serrate, toothed and 

 ciliate: cilias glandular: the common peduncle 

 terminating^ : partial cymed, bifid : male flowers 

 very copious, females solitary, in the forks of 

 the peduncles : in the males, calyx five-leaved : 

 leaflets ovate, acute, ciliate: corolla deeply five- 

 j>arted, dark purple : segments ovale : at the 

 base of the stamens are five roundish nectareous 

 glands. It is a native of the West Indian 

 ■ islands. 



The second species grows generally to the 

 height of five, six, or seven feet, with a very 

 smooth fuff"rutcscent stem, and spreading 

 branches : the stipules bristle shaped, multifid 

 at the base of the branches and petioles : the 

 leaves alternate, subpeltate, nuiltifid : the divi- 

 sions pinnate, with the odd leaflet longer, 

 smooth, but whitish underneath: the peduncles 

 terminating, very long, round, thick, very 

 smooth, subdivided : the peilicels coloured, in 

 corymbs: the flowers small, red: males very 

 numerous : females solitary, suhsessile. It is 

 common in most of the islands in the West 

 Indies, flowering from June to July. 



The third shoots from a tough, branched, 

 woody root, whose slender collateral fibres 



swell into those fleshy conic masses for which 

 the plant is cultivated; and rises bv a slender 

 woody knotted stalk to the height of four, five, 

 or six feet, sometimes more: the leaves alter- 

 nate, smooth, on long petioles, seven-lobed : 

 lobes narrow at the base, growing broader till 

 within an inch and half of the top, where they 

 dimmish to an acute point ; the three middle 

 lobes are about six inches long, and two broad 

 where broadest ; the two next are about an inch 

 shorter, and the two outside lobes are not more 

 than three inches long; the middle lobes are 

 sinuated on each side near the top, but the two 

 outer are entire : the flowers are produced ia 

 umbels at (he top of the stalks, some male, and 

 others female. It is a native of South Ame- 

 rica. 



It is observed by Martyn, that " it grows to 

 perfection in about eight months; but the roots 

 will remain a considerable time in the ground 

 uninjured. They are generally dug up as occa- 

 sion requires, and prepared for use m the fol- 

 lowing manner: being first well washed and 

 scraped, then rubbed to a pulpy farina on iron 

 graters, they are put into strong linen or palm- 

 etto bags, and placed in a convenient press^ 

 imtil the juice is entirely expressed : the farina 

 is then taken out and spread in the sun for some 

 time, pounded in large wooden mortars, rua 

 through coarse sieves, and atterwards baked on 

 convenient irons. These are placed over proper 

 fires, and, when hot, bestrewed with the sifted 

 meal to whatever size or thickness people please 

 10 have the cakes made : this agglutinates as it 

 heats, grows gradually harder, and, when tho- 

 roughly baked, is a wholesome v\ell-tastcd 

 bread. Tapioca is also prepared from this 

 root." 



The fourth species has a thick, swelling, fleshy 

 root, from which arises an herbaceous stalk as big 

 asa man's thumb, four or five feet high, and divid- 

 ing into several branches; these arc very closely 

 armed with long brown spines : the foot-stalks 

 of the leaves are six or seven inches long, « hich 

 arc also armed with spines, but not so closelv, 

 nor are the spines so long as those on the stalk 

 and branches : the leaves are deeply cut into five 

 lobes, which are jagged deeply on their sides, 

 and the nerves are armed with stinging spines : 

 the flowers are produced in umbels at the top of 

 the branches, standing upon long naked pedun- 

 cles; they are of a jnire white colour : the male 

 flowers appear first ; they are five-petalled, form- 

 ing a short tube at bottom, and s|)reading open 

 flat aijove. It is a native of Brazil, flowering 

 from May to July. 



Culture. — ^These plants are all capable of being 

 increased by seeds and cuttings. 



