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Need plant ID

JB_OrchidGuy

Cardiac Nurse
I was gifted 2 seeds from a plant that came straight from Uganda.  A friend of mine I work with's father took a safari trip to Uganda and brought back with him some seed from a plant over there.  He gave me two seeds and the plants germinated.  This is the second year I have had them, and they have not flowered for me yet.  If you need a flawer then its just going to have to wait, but it would be great to get an ID on this plant.
unknown%20plant%20from%20uganda%20001_635x480.jpg
 
That's Jatropha podagrica, the goutyspot nettlespurge. It's one of my favorites! It's a native of Central/South America and has been introduced all over the world. It likes direct/bright filtered sun (at least up north here in Washington) but puts up with grow-lights, and I hear it's frost tolerant for short periods of time. I'm told that they grow under conditions similar to Mexi-Pings, so you can put it on a similar watering schedule - wetter in the summer and drier in the winter. Like Mexi-Pings, J. podagrica will slow down or go dormant in the winter, sometimes dropping all its leaves. The sap and parts are fairly poisonous and a strong skin/eye irritant, so take care when handling it. It flowers readily several times a year, and while it is self-fertile, it doesn't self-pollenate. Pollenation is very easy, as J. podagrica produces large quantities of small flowers with the stigmas and stamens readily visible. I don't remember how long the fruiting time is, but I think its two months give or take a few weeks. Seed pods are about the size of a large grape, with a matte green skin that begins to turn shiny as the seeds ripen. Pay attention to the plant when it is fruiting because J. podagrica is a seed-flinger; after ripening, a combination of low humidity and high air temperatures will cause the ripe pods to burst with a considerable amount of force, tossing the seeds several yards away where you'll never find them. I'm told that you can pick the pods just before they're ripe (once the skin has changed texture) and let them dry and crack in a container. Also, sometimes the pods will pop without dispersing the seeds - if you find a pod that goes from green to purple or brown with conspicuous stripes down the side, you've had a misfire and the pod can just be twised off the stalk. How did you germinate your seed? So far the only germination I've had was from a seed that I had forgotten about from about four years back. There's some good cultivation information here on Dave's Garden.
Best luck,
~Joe
 
Joe I just plopped them in dirt and let them go. I had no clue what it was when I got it. I had 100% seed germination considering I only had 2 seeds both germinated. I planted one in the pot you see and the other in an unglazed terracata pot. I found out by chance they like it wet because the one you see is twice the size of the other. So I moved the other into the same type pot hoping to get more growth out of it. Please fill me in on mexi-ping culture. I don;t grow them yet and have no clue. I just make sure I keep the pot watered and wet but not sitting in water like my CPs. Both wintered nicely in my GH with temps down to 50 maybe since I kept them close to the wall on the oposite side of my heaters. Both dropped all leaves, but came back nicely. The other only has one leaf and is growing slower, but I just think because its smaller than this one. Thanks for the ID and thank for telling me its poisonous too I willmake sure to wear gloves when handling the plant. I will inform the person I got it from of the name and to be careful too. He last all but one of his plants since he wintered hiw outside last year and something ate them or something. Your more than welcome to some of the seed if and when they produce too. Just remind me if I forget please. Again if you could put together some culture info that could help me out with the plant it would be greeatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Lucky dog! Jathropha is in the Euphorbia family. I always wanted one of these stem succulents. Stem succulents ROCK!
 
Well Tamlin when I get seed from this baby your going to get some. As I said I was given two seed collected from Uganda. So when they produce seed for me I will give them to as many people as I can. You and seedjar being the first two.
 
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