Glochidion EUPHORBIACEAE 223 
drier monsoon forest on a variety of soils and 
occasionally eucalypt forest. The description here 
includes forms known as G. apodogynum Airy 
Shaw and G. disparipes Airy Shaw. Glochidion 
xerocarpum sens. str. occurs in coastal vine 
thickets and has glabrous leaves with obscure 
venation below and glabrous or tomentose branchlets. 
Glochidion apodogynum sens. str. is tomentose 
on all parts and occurs in subcoastal habitats 
associated with sandstone while G. disparipes 
may be completely glabrous or have hairy 
branchlets and occurs in subcoastal monsoon 
thickets or eucalypt communities. The above 
characters intergrade between forms. However, 
all forms have similar leaves, stipules, inflorescences 
and fruit. 
JATROPHA L. 
A genus of 125-150 tropical species occurring primarily in-the New World, with many of the other species 
in Africa. Two species are naturalized in Australia and the NT. Both occur in the DR. J. curcas L. is rare in the 
region and is illustrated (Fig. 73), but not described here. [Everist, 1979; Wagner et al., 1990]. Two other 
species, J. multifida L. with deeply divided leaves and J. podagrica Hook. with a short swollen stem are 
cultivated. 
1. Leaves and petioles with gland tipped hairs, blades deeply 3-5-lobed; petals red ............ 
J. gossypifolia 
1. Leaves and petioles eglandular, blades entire or shallowly lobed; 
petals greenish to yellowish white .........sscseeeeeeeee 
*J. gossypifolia L. 
A herbaceous shrub, deciduous in dry habitats, to 
1.5(3) m tall. Stems smooth, exuding a watery sap 
when broken, angles of branchlets with decurrent 
tissue. Stipules modified to form branched glandular 
hair-like structures, 4-5 mm long. Leaves alternate; 
petioles 46-115 mm long bearing conspicuous 
branched gland tipped hairs; blades deeply palmately 
3-5-lobed, discolorous, 54-140 mm long, 75-125 mm 
wide, lobes 25-70 mm long, 15-42 mm wide, 
surfaces glabrous to densely tomentose, finely 
pellucid dotted, base cordate to truncate, margin 
ciliate with simple and capitate glandular hairs, apex 
of lobes acuminate. Inflorescence with a dense 
verveeresritpyyitiy cHtt amir tet eres Stet eeHe es J. curcas 
covering of simple and glandular hairs, bracteate. 
Flowers monoecious, in terminal dichasia, 78-120 mm 
long; petals dark red. Fruit a capsule, 10-12 mm long, 
oblong, with 3 1-seeded locules. Seeds pale brown, 
faintly mottled, 6-8 mm long, c. 4.5 mm wide, 
flattened-oblong, caruncle finely lobed. Flowering: 
Feb; fruiting: Feb - Apr. Fig. 73 
Native to the New World but now naturalized 
throughout the tropics. In Australia the species 
occurs in Qld, WA and NT. Scattered in the DR, often 
near past habitation. On a variety of soils, but most 
commonly on stream banks. In the past, this species 
was widely propagated for the seeds which contain a 
purgative oil. The seeds also contain a toxin. 
LEPTOPUS Decne 
A genus of c. 15 species, mostly in northern and SE Asia extending to Australia. One species occurs in 
Australia, the NT and the DR. 
L. decaisnei (Benth.) Pojarkova 
An annual herb or low shrub to 1 m tall. All parts 
villous. Stipules narrowly triangular, c. 1.5 mm long. 
Leaves alternate; petioles 1-16 mm long; blades 
slightly discolorous, obovate to orbicular, 7-33 mm 
long, 6-21 mm wide, L/B 1.2-1.9, base cuneate to 
attenuate, margin entire, apex rounded to shortly 
acuminate. Inflorescence of short axillary fascicles 
