Jatropha cardiophylla – Sangre de Cristo

Jatropha cardiophylla - Sangre de Cristo, Heartleaf Limberbush (flower)

Jatropha cardiophylla - Sangre de Cristo, Heartleaf Limberbush

Jatropha cardiophylla - Sangre de Cristo, Heartleaf Limberbush

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Jatropha cardiophylla

Synonym: Mozinna cardiophylla

Common Names: Sangre de Cristo, Heartleaf Limberbush

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial, Deciduous

Growth Habit: Shrub

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert

Flower Color: Inconspicuous (pale yellowish white)

Flowering Season: Summer. This plant blooms after the summer monsoon rains have begun.

Height: To 4 feet (1.2 m) tall or more, but usually less here

Description: The flowers are small, tubular, 5-lobed, and inconspicuous beneath the leaves. The leaves have long, reddish petioles and are glossy green, up to 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) wide, toothed, and heart-shaped, heart-shaped-triangular, or cordate-hastate. The leaves and flowers appear after the summer monsoon rains. The numerous, arching stems are brown, slender, and unusually flexible or limber. The stems contain a clear sap that dries to create permanent, blood-like stains on clothing. Not even bleach will remove these "bloodstains" (I've tried it on a cotton shirt).

There are 3 other Jatropha species found here in Arizona. The similar Physicnut (Jatropha cuneata) has small, oval leaves, Ragged Nettlespurge (Jatropha macrorhiza) is an herb with pink flowers and palmate leaves, and Arizona Nettlespurge (Jatropha cinerea) has larger, rounded leaves and fat stems.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Euphorbiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae – Spurge family
Genus: Jatropha L. – nettlespurge
Species: Jatropha cardiophylla (Torr.) Mll. Arg. – sangre de cristo

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map