Jatropha Dioica, Leatherstem

Stems of jatropha dioica, a dioecious species, are brown to reddish brown, branched, hairless, and somewhat rubbery; they form clusters, several feet across. Leaves are short-lived, appearing early spring then withering before the summer. Leaves are narrow, linear to oblanceolate, usually unlobed, and hairless. Leaves are attached by very short , glandular-hairy petioles, with tiny, linear stipules at the base.

The sessile flowers appear at the leaf nodes and at the branch tips. The staminate and pistillate flowers are similar in appearance; five short, pinkish sepals, and a white or pinkish corolla toped by five short petals, curving backwards; within the corolla are ten stamens or one carpel.

There are two varieties of jatropha dioica. Var dioica has leaves wider above the middle, unfused sepals, and a corolla more pink in color, while var graminea has linear leaves, partly fused sepals, and a white corolla.