Jicamilla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jicamilla |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Jatropha
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| Species: |
cathartica
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| Synonyms | |
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Adenoropium berlandieri (Torrey) Small |
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Jatropha cathartica is a cool flowering plant that belongs to the spurge family, called Euphorbiaceae. It grows naturally in Texas in the United States. You can also find it in parts of northeastern Mexico, like Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. People sometimes call this plant jicamilla (which is Spanish) or Berlandier's nettlespurge.
About the Plant
Jatropha cathartica is a special kind of plant. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years and has soft stems instead of woody ones. This plant grows from a big, woody root that looks a bit like a potato. This root is called a caudex. The plant is deciduous, meaning it loses its stems and leaves. It rests during winter in a sleeping state.
The Caudex (Root)
The large caudex is round, like a globe, and has a light, pastel-white color. It can grow up to 20 cm (about 8 inches) wide and 30 cm (about 12 inches) tall, or even bigger! In nature, this root usually stays hidden underground. But if someone grows the plant in a pot, the caudex often becomes visible.
Stems and Leaves
The stems of Jatropha cathartica can grow up to 30 cm (about 12 inches) long. The leaf stems, called petioles, can be up to 17 cm (about 7 inches) long. The leaves are a gray-green color and are shaped like a hand, which is called palmate. They have five to seven deep cuts or lobes and can be up to 10 cm (about 4 inches) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of this plant are very pretty and stand out. They are bright pink to poppy-red. These flowers grow in loose groups at the ends of long flower stalks, called peduncles. Each group of flowers, or inflorescence, has individual flowers that are up to 12 mm (about half an inch) wide. In each group, there are usually 3-4 female flowers and 10-12 male flowers. The plant blooms for a long time, from February to November, but it flowers most often during the summer.
After the flowers, the plant grows fruit. The fruit is a green, pea-like capsule with three parts. Inside this capsule, there are three seeds.
Where It Grows
Berlandier's nettlespurge usually grows scattered among bushes. It prefers clay soil in hot, dry areas. This plant is very good at handling dry weather and can live for many days without rain. It can grow well in both sunny and shady spots. However, it doesn't like cold, wet places, as it might rot there.
