Jatropha seineri Pax
var. seineri

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Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Mwambwa area, Sesheke Distrct, Western Province

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Synonyms:	Jatropha humilis N.E.Br.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	A multistemmed, pubescent, glaucous suffrutex, with a copious white, milky, latex; stems prostrate or straggling, up to 42 cm long, but commonly much less, branching from a scaly underground stem which arises from a tuber; tuber up to 10 cm in diameter and resembling a coconut in shape and size, lying 15–70 cm below ground level, with red flesh. Leaf blades 3–7.5(10) × 1–3 cm, lanceolate, acute at the apex, entire or crisped-undulate, cuneate to rounded or occasionally shallowly cordate at the base. Inflorescences terminating the short main axis, peduncle 1.5–3 cm long. Male flowers: pedicels short, extending to 3 mm at maturity; calyx 2–2.5 mm long, lobes 1–1.25 mm wide, triangular-ovate, subacute or obtuse, subentire, glabrous, green; petals 4–5 × 1.5–1.75 mm, spathulate-oblanceolate, rounded, glabrous without, pilose within below, cream-coloured, pale yellow, pale pink, whitish or greenish, carmine at the base. Female flowers: pedicels 2–3 mm long, stouter than in the male; calyx 4 mm long, lobes 2.5–3 × 1 mm, triangular-lanceolate, acute, entire, ciliate, pubescent; petals 6 × 2 mm, oblong-oblanceolate, glabrous, otherwise as in male; disk deeply 5-lobed, the lobes unequal, flattened, truncate; ovary 2 × 2 mm, 3-lobed to subglobose, pubescent; styles 3 mm long, united at the base, divaricate, stigmas bifid, rugulose. Female flowers: pedicels 2–3 mm long, stouter than in the male; calyx 4 mm long, lobes 2.5–3 × 1 mm, triangular-lanceolate, acute, entire, ciliate, pubescent; petals 6 × 2 mm, oblong-oblanceolate, glabrous, otherwise as in male; disk deeply 5-lobed, the lobes unequal, flattened, truncate; ovary 2 × 2 mm, 3-lobed to subglobose, pubescent; styles 3 mm long, united at the base, divaricate, stigmas bifid, rugulose. Seeds 6.8–7.2 × 4.4–4.9 × 3.5–4 mm, ovoid-ellipsoid, smooth, pale yellowish-grey, sometimes brown-flecked, with a large 2-lobed flabelliform caruncle 2 × 3.5–4.5 mm, chestnut at the base shading to buff.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	seineri: named after Franz Seiner, collector of the type specimen in the Caprivi Strip in Namibia
Habitat:
Flowering time:	Oct - Dec
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia
Growth form(s):	Shrub under 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 42. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 255 - 257. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 57.

Other sources of information about Jatropha seineri var. seineri:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Jatropha seineri var. seineri
Flora of Zambia: Jatropha seineri var. seineri
Flora of Zimbabwe: Jatropha seineri var. seineri

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Jatropha seineri
African Plant Database: Jatropha seineri
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Jatropha seineri
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Jatropha seineri
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Jatropha seineri
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Jatropha seineri
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Jatropha seineri
JSTOR Plant Science: Jatropha seineri
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Jatropha seineri
Plants of the World Online: Jatropha seineri
Tropicos: Jatropha seineri
Wikipedia: Jatropha seineri