JATROPHA CURCAS: SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD
“The center of origin of [Jatropha curcas] is in the Northeastern part of South America and the dry areas of Mexico.” (1)
“From the Caribbean, this species was probably distributed by Portuguese [merchants] via Cape Verde Islands and former Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea Bissau) to other countries in Africa and Asia.” (2)
While originating in Central America, this map depicts various locations Jatropha curcas now grows around the world. Preferring warmer climates (both dry and humid), Jatropha curcas doesn’t normally stray far from the equator.
“Colonial botanists were often "traveling missionaries, trained physicians or apothecaries... most were sent by trading companies, kings, or scientific academies.” (6)
In 1755, Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin was sent to the Caribbean and Central America to collect animal and plant specimens for Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor.
Read more about Jatropha Curcas below:
SOURCES
H.A. Abdelgadir, J. Van Staden . “Ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology and toxicity ofJatropha curcasL.(Euphorbiaceae): A review.” South African Journal of Botany 88 (2013) 204–218
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254629913003244
J. Heller. Physic nut Jatropha curcas L., promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops. (1st edn), International Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research Institute, Gartersleben (IPGRI), Rome, Italy (1996)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/243055686_Physic_nut_Jatropha_curcas_L
Global Biodiversity Information Facility “Jatropha Curcas L.” https://www.gbif.org/species/3072953
A. Kumar, S. Sharma. “An evaluation of multipurpose oil seed crop for industrial uses (Jatropha curcas L.): a review.” Industrial Crops and Products, 28 (2008), pp. 1-10 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926669008000046
BestandgeberIn: Archiv der Universität Wien UrheberIn: Gemälde: Kreitzinger, Jos. Stich: Adam, Jakob Druck: Artaria Signatur: 135.99 [https://geschichte.univie.ac.at/de/personen/nikolaus-joseph-freiherr-von-jacquin-dr-med ] “Colonial Botany Science, Commerce, and
Schiebinger, Londa; Swan, Claudia. “Colonial Botany Science, Commerce, and Politics in the Early Modern World”, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016.
Jacquin, Nikolaus Joseph von. Hortus botanicus Vindobonensis, vol 3. (1776)
Kew Gardens. Plants of the World Online, “Jatropha Curcas” [ http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:131462-2]