2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
An interesting representative of the Euphorbiaceae family, grown here as a houseplant, stands out for its special unusual stem, called "caudex". Like many Euphorbiaceae, the plant tissues of the Jatropha secrete a caustic milky sap. The seeds of the plant are competitors of oil, because the oil obtained from them is used as fuel for diesel units
Caudex
In some plants, short shoot bases form a thickened formation similar in appearance to a rhizome. This thickening can be located completely underground, or partially above the ground. Biologists call this thickening "caudex".
It differs from the rhizome. The rhizome is characterized by a gradual dying off from below and an increase in the upper layers, because of which the plant over the years begins to "bulge" out of the ground, requiring our attention and the addition of a soil cover. Caudex, on the other hand, does not die off in its lower part, but passes into a perennial taproot.
Caudexes can be seen in legumes and dandelions. So Jatropha is the owner of caudex - a special stem that expands downward and is one of the decorative elements of the plant.
Bioenergy culture for the poor
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization is seriously considering growing Jatropha in the arid regions of developing countries with the aim of obtaining oil from its fruits, which will replace diesel fuel obtained from petroleum.
With the help of Jatropha oil, they are going to produce electricity and cooking fuel for the poor. In addition, growing a plant will provide jobs for people, and using oil as fuel will make life easier for people.
Varieties of Jatropha
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Jatropha Berlandier (Jatropha berlandieri) - a succulent plant characterized by a rounded caudex with a diameter of 10-12 centimeters and thin short stems. The leaf plate consists of 7 segments. The female and male flowers are colored red and are collected in inflorescences.
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Jatropha whole-edged (Jatropha integerrima) is a relatively tall evergreen shrub (height 90 cm) with tripartite leaves firmly attached to it. Red flowers have five decorative petals.
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Jatropha guitar-leaved (Jatropha pandurifolia) is a meter long evergreen shrub, the oblong leaves of which are similar in shape to a guitar, strongly tapering in the middle. Inflorescence clusters are collected from red flowers.
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Jatropha gouty (Jatropha podagrica) is a medium-sized succulent shrub (height 40-50 cm) with a well-developed caudex, from which large dissected leaves grow. Branched peduncles are crowned with inflorescences collected from bright red succulent flowers. It is the most common houseplant of the Jatropha.
Growing
In the summer, Jatropha can be taken out into the open air.
The soil is needed loose, well-drained. Complex fertilizer with a low nitrogen content is added to water for irrigation in spring and summer every 3 weeks. As for Jatropha gouty, it tolerates drought well, and therefore it is rarely watered.
Do not forget that Caudex is not a rhizome, and therefore do not seek to cover it with soil, leaving it with the opportunity to decorate the plant, being above the soil surface.
We choose a place that is illuminated at any time of the year, but protected from direct sunlight. The temperature in winter is not lower than plus 10 degrees.
Depending on the degree of development of the plant, once every 2-3 years, the plant is transplanted in the spring-summer period.
Maintaining appearance
To maintain the appearance, remove damaged dry leaves and wilted flowers.
Reproduction
Propagated by seeds in spring, at plus 20-21 degrees the seeds germinate well. Very loose soil is used for sowing.
Propagated by cuttings from branched plants, rooting cuttings in coarse sand. The milky juice that appears on the cut is removed by immersing the base of the stem for a couple of minutes in warm water. Then the cutting is dried from 2 to 7 days. When true roots appear, the seedlings are transplanted into the soil.
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