Species · genus Jatropha · Euphorbiaceae

Guatemalan Rhubarb

Jatropha podagrica Hook.

Also known as: Bottle-euphorbia · Gout Stalk · Goutstalk Nettlespurge · Goutystalk Nettlespurge · Purgingnut

Reference · J. podagrica

Cultivars of J. podagrica

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under J. podagrica yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Jatropha podagrica is a caudiciform succulent in the Euphorbiaceae, storing water in a swollen basal stem (the "gout" of its common name). Reason from that habit: it wants a deep soak in gritty, fast-draining mix, then a long dry-down — water only when the mix is dry well below the surface, and never leave the caudex sitting wet, as it rots readily. Give it a bright spot and tolerate some direct sun; keep it warm and avoid overwatering above all.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 10-21d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 21 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

Not documented

Soil mix

Not documented

Propagation

Not documented

Fertilizing

Not documented

Growth rate

Not documented

Flowering

Not documented

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Euphorbiaceae produce an irritant milky latex; Jatropha also bears toxic seeds (curcin and related compounds). This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 10-21d) · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Guatemalan Rhubarb yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.