Jatropha curcas or Barbados nut or Physic nut is a perennial poisonous shrub (up to 5 m high[1]]) belonging to the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family. The plant, originating in Central America, is mainly grown in Asia and in Africa, where it is known as Pourghère. It is resistant to a high degree of aridity and as such does not compete with food crops. When the seeds are crushed, the resulting jatropha oil can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel fuel that can be used in a standard diesel engine.

1 Cultivation
2 Processing
3 Biodiesel potential
4 Other uses
5 Other names
6 See also
7 References
8 External links