Jatropha nana var. benghalensis Rahaman & Mondal (2012: 477

Nerlekar, Ashish N., 2015, Lectotypification of Jatropha nana (Euphorbiaceae) with notes on its threats, and the status of Jatropha nana var. benghalensis, Phytotaxa 213 (2), pp. 155-158 : 157

Jatropha nana var. benghalensis Rahaman & Mondal (2012: 477 , as ‘ benghalense ’), syn. nov.

Lectotype (designated here):— INDIA. West Bengal State: Birbhum district, Rajnagar, near Kurulmitiya hillock, 16 May 2012, C. H. Rahaman & S. Mondal 270 [ CAL0000025102 (photo!)].

Shrub, 30–50 cm tall. Root tuberous or woody, branched, with tubers reaching up to ca. 25 × 8 cm. Stem terete, occasionally branched, glabrous, ca. 2.0 cm in diameter. Leaves glabrous, sessile or with 0.5–3.0 cm long petioles, leaf blade up to 10 × 12 cm, broadly ovate, entire or trilobed from above the middle with the middle lobe being the largest, underside pale, young leaves frequently reddish, base cuneate with three prominent nerves arising from base, margins entire, apex acute-acuminate; stipules with ca. 1–3 filiform processes each, 1.0– 10 mm long and 1.0 mm wide, stipules absent or reduced in specimens approaching senescence. Inflorescence a terminal compound cyme. Flowers pedicellate, pedicels ca. 3 mm long, bracteate; bracts lanceolate-subulate, acute, eglandular. Male flowers: calyx lobes 3.0–4.0 mm long, ovate, divided up to half way down with acute apex, glabrous; corolla lobes free, ca. 6.0–8.0 mm long, oblong-obovate, veined, glabrous outside, densely glandular-hairy at the base inside, 5 minute disc glands present at base of flower; stamens 8, filaments united at base. Female flowers: calyx lobes 3.0–4.0 mm long, lanceolate, divided almost to the base, glabrous with acute apex; corolla lobes free, ca. 7.0–9.0 mm long, ovate-oblong, veined, glabrous outside, glandular inside; ovary ovoid, glabrous, ca. 2 mm in diameter, surrounded by 5 minute glands; style ca. 3.0 mm long, connate at base, divided into 3 stigmatic branches, these further divided into two lobes at the apex; stigmas bilobed. Capsules ca. 2.0 × 1.5 cm, sulcate, obovoid-oblong, flattened at top, splitting into 3 cocci and 2 valves, with 3 seeds. Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, up to 1.0 × 0.5 cm, testa uniformly brown, ventral surface with grove, caruncle lobes light brown with roughly 2 lobes.