. JATROPHA CURCAS L.
| Synonym : | Curcas indica A.Rich. Jatropha afrocurcas Pax Manihot curcas (L.) Crantz Ricinus jarak Thunb. |
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| Bangla Name : | Verenda, Ban Verenda, Chanda, Jamalgota, Sadajeol, Baron, Arenda (Chittagong). |
| English Name : | Barbados Nut, Physic Nut, Poison Nut |
| Family : | Euphorbiaceae |
| Disease : | Purgative,rheumatism, herpes,pruritus, ulcers,scabies, eczema, ringworm ,toothache,fever, antidiarrhoeal, cough,emetic and purgative. |
| Description : | A large deciduous shrub with sucullent stem. Leaves 10-15 cm long, broadly ovate, cordate, acute, usually palmately 3- or 5-lobed. Flowers 7.5 mm across, yellowish-green, in loose, axillary, cymose panicles, 5-12.5 cm long. Fruit 2.5 cm long, ovoid. |
| Distribution : | Throughout the country, grown as a live fence in the villages. |
| Chemical Constituents : | Seeds contain a poisonous fixed oil with a disagreeable taste, which is more purgative than castor oil. The oil contains oleic, linoleic (27.2%), myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic acids. Glucose, arabinose, xylose and rhamnose have also been detected |
| Uses : | Seeds are poisonous. Both roasted seed and seed oil is purgative, more drastic than those of Ricinus communis, applied topically in rheumatism, herpes and pruritus. The twigs are used for tooth brushing when the gums are swollen. The sap of the plant and |
| Habit : | Shrub |