I have several Jatropha plants, they are all supposed to be J. integerrima but they have two different kinds of leaves and the seed pods are different colors. What is up here? Are they two different varieties of J. integerrima? Here is the first one with un-lobed leaves and red pods.
This message was edited Nov 15, 2004 2:47 PM
Here is the second plant with trilobed leaves and green pods. The pods are approximately the same age. These pods are always green, never red.
This message was edited Nov 15, 2004 2:47 PM
Wow, what cool blooms and pods. The foliage is pretty too. I've never seen one of these before, that I know of.
Brugie, if you want to grow one next summer, I can pick one up at a nursery. They grow fast, bloom all summer and are cheap enough here that you could just leave it out in the fall. The butterflies love the flowers.
Wow very pretty Calalily.
Do you think I'll remember this by next summer? LOL! If I do though,,,,,I'll email you. Thanks for the offer.
I'll try to remember Brugie, but my memory is not very good either!
What a beauty, Suz! Have you also seen the Jatrophas thats trunk is round and fat? If so, let me know!
I have two different ones as well, one looks like the second picture, but the other one has far more divided leaves, almost maple leaf looking.
The maple leaf one also has seperate male and female flowers; the petals are the same but some have only pollen, and some only a stigma, none have both on the same flower.
Anyone else notice that on any of theirs?
Cala, how large are they? I know there is a dwarf variety - maybe one of them is that one (the less divided leaves, I'd guess). I have J. integerrima 'compacta', which has variable leaves, ranging between entire and lobed. Also, it could just be that the species is somewhat variable.
Carter, they are about waist high, they are both the same size and have about the same growth rate. I have a much older plant, it's about shoulder high and seems to have leveled out at that height. I think your explaination makes sense, I'll keep watching and see if they make varied leaf shapes on the same plant.
Indigoez, I'll have to take a close look at the flowers now!
Mel, I keep forgetting to answer your question! Yes, they have the jatropha podagrica here. Want me to pick you up a little plant and send it to ya?
Sure Suz, I have several I need to get to you as well!
OK, I'll pick one up. The best place to get them is about 30 miles north and I love to go there. They have about 5 acres of tropical stuff!
Can you post a picture of the one Meltn is talking about? sound so interesting!
I will try to remember to take one. Mine is a baby plant, so you can't really tell that the stem is swollen. If I find a big one that I can get a picture of, I'll do that.
Here is a picture of my J. podagrica. This is after it has branched. I've read they don't typically branch much and not until a little older, but this one suddenly just spit out about 5 branches last summer. You can see a baby that is popping up in the pot with it - produces very easy to germinate seeds. The caudex is may 3½" to 4" in diameter.
In the prior pic you can kind of see the 'wine bottle' shape of the original stem going straight up.
This is a pic before branching, I think.
Constantly in bloom, and the bloom 'spikes' last forever. Here's a bloom closeup. Flowers and pods in various sizes forming.
By the way, I forgot to mention, I have several seedlings of this one - a few from last year and several from this year if anyone's interested. It may be a coupld of weeks before I can get them out, though (with Turkey Day approaching and just plain crazy life at the moment...).
Callalily, I've got both plants that you have and have wondered the same thing. Those seeds grow readily and fast! One thing I noticed that I thought odd this summer, about half of the seedlings came up albino and died. Any ideas on what could have caused them to be albino? They have never don that before.
I can't say enough good about these plants. They bloom ALL SUMMER LONG, had NO bugs, and the hummers and butterflies love 'em!
Carter, I had podagrica (Budha Belly) until I forgot and left it out one night when it froze. I don't think you get that cold though.
Kay
Carter, your plant is nice! Mine is still a baby, but it blooms constantly. I love these cause they don't mind the alkaline soil, don't need lots of water and like Kay said.......no bugs!
Calla, I went out and looked at my plants again. One of them has NONE of the odd shaped leaves. The other has some of both. The two plants are about the same age and size (about 3.5-4 ft. tall). I think they must be different. I might go googling and see what I can find out.
Kay
Okay, I stand corrected. It appears that there is only one jatropha integerrima, which may have several kinds of leaves. Two synonyms for "integerrima" are "hastata" and "panduraefolia".
It didn't mention the differences in the seed pods' appearances.
Kay
Cala, here is a pic I snapped of my J. integerrima 'Compacta' yesterday. I'll post two different branches. Each has variable leaves that range from entire to 2-lobed and 3-lobed. You can't see the 2-lobed ones very well, they're kind of hidden, but they are kinda cool looking.
Here's the other...
I went out and checked my oldest one, and it's like yours Carter and Kay, it has both kinds of leaves on it. I did check the flowers and they appear to have both male and female parts on the same flower. I guess the older they get the more the variable the leaves are? Still don't know why the seed pods are different though.
My J. podagrica has two seed pods!
