Euphorbiaceae

Barbados nut

Jatropha curcas L.

Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Jatropha

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Barbados nut (Jatropha curcas) — FlowerPhoto: Dr. Alexey Yakovlev, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (45)

Arabic: يطروفة القحطة, جاتروفا, جوز بربادوس, حب ملوك, حب ملوك قرقس, دند نهري, دندبرى, شجرة الذهب الأخضر
arz: يطروفة القحطه
Bambara: Bàgànin
ban: Jarak
Bangla: সাদা ভেরেন্ডা, জামাল গোটা
Burmese: Jatropha
Cantonese: 痳瘋樹
Catalan: Pinyó de l'Índia
Chinese: 痲瘋樹, 麻疯树, 假白榄, 小桐子, 膏桐, 麻疯树*(膏桐、麻风树）, 麻风树, 黄肿树
Czech: Dávivec černý
dag: Shindazugu
Dutch: Purgeernoot, Jathropa curcas, Schijtnoot
English: Barbados nut, Bubblebush, Physic nut, Purging nut
Ewe: Babatihé
Finnish: Öljyjatropa, Jatopha, Jatrofa
French: Bagani, Médecinier cathartique, Médecinier purgatif, Pignon d'Inde, Pourghère
German: Purgiernuss, Jatrophanuss, Purgierstrauch
gor: Bintalo
Hebrew: יטרופה קורקס
Indonesian: Jarak pagar, Budidaya tanaman jarak, Minyak jarak sebagai bahan bakar
Italian: Giatrofa, Jatropa curcas
Japanese: ナンヨウアブラギリ, ジャトロファ, ジャトロファ油, タイワンアブラギリ, ヤトロファ
Javanese: Jarak Pagar
Kannada: ಕಾಚಿ ಗಿಡ
mad: Klèkè
Malagasy: Savoa, Kinana, Tanatanapotsy, Valavelogno, Valavelona
Malay: Pokok Jarak Pagar
Malayalam: കടലാവണക്ക്
Marathi: मोगलीएरंड
Nepali: सजीवन
Nyanja: Nsadsi
pam: Galumbang
Persian: جاتروفا کارکس
Polish: Jatrofa przeczyszczająca, Obrzydlec przeczyszczający
Portuguese: Pinhão-manso, Botujé, Jatrofa, Pinhão branco, Pinhão manso, Pinhão-branco, Purgueira
Russian: Ятрофа куркас
Spanish: Agrenergia, Agrenergía, Jatrofa curcas, Pinon de tempate, Piñon de tempate
Sundanese: Jarak kosta
Swahili: Mbono, Mbono kaburi
Telugu: అడవి ఆముదము చెట్టు, అడవి ఆముదము
Thai: สบู่ดำ
Tongan: Fiki
Ukrainian: Ятрофа куркас
Vietnamese: Dầu mè, Cây cọc giậu, Cây cọc rào, Cây dầu mè, Cọc giậu, Cọc rào, Dầu lai
Yoruba: Bòtújẹ̀, Làpálàpá, Lóbòtújè

Synonyms

Castiglionia lobata Ruiz & Pav.
Curcas adansonii Endl.
Curcas curcas (L.) Britton & Millsp.
Curcas drastica Mart.
Curcas indica A.Rich.
Curcas lobata Splitg. ex Lanj.
Curcas purgans Medik.
Curcas purgans Medic.
Jatropha acerifolia Salisb.
Jatropha afrocurcas Pax
Jatropha condor Wall.
Jatropha condor Benth.
Jatropha edulis Sessé
Jatropha yucatanensis Briq.
Manihot curcas (L.) Crantz
Ricinoides americana Garsault
Ricinus americanus Mill.
Ricinus jarak Thunb.

Flowers

In flower: April to October, December (from 26 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Dr. Alexey Yakovlev, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Adrian Bojorquez, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Leonardo O. Alvarado Cárdenas, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Duarte Frade, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FruitPhoto: Antonio Nonato, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ton Rulkens from Mozambique, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Carlos Domínguez-Rodríguez, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Ton Rulkens from Mozambique, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Francisco Farriols Sarabia, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Ton Rulkens from Mozambique, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sinaloa Silvestre, CC0, from iNaturalist

More in Jatropha

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.