About Jatropha moranii Dehgan & G.L.Webster
Jatropha moranii Dehgan & G.L.Webster is a much-branched subshrub with a distinct woody caudex, fissured bark, and abundant attractive white flowers produced throughout the year. This plant grows as a small shrub under 1 m tall, with a succulent stem and branches. Its caudex is distinctly woody, covered in non-peeling, fissured bark that is brown with white epidermal markings. Leaves grow on petioles 5 to 18 mm long; the total leaf length including the petiole is 2.5 to 5.5 cm. Stipules are not visible. The leaf blade is ovate, distinctly 5-lobed, and 1.5 to 3 cm wide. Leaf margins are ciliate, fringed with fine hairs. The inflorescence is monoecious. Lower bracts are entire, lanceolate, and 3 to 7 mm long. Staminate flowers are subglobose, 8 to 12 mm long and 6 to 9 mm wide, with 10 stamens. Pistillate flowers are campanulate, 10 to 14 mm long and 12 to 18 mm wide. Both staminate and pistillate flowers have white, recurved petals. Plant capsules are trilobed, measuring around 1.5 to 2 mm in both length and width, and contain more or less spherical grayish brown seeds. This species is endemic to Baja California Sur, and only occurs in a small area at Cabo San Lucas.
