Common Name: Peregrina, Spicy jatropha
A native of Cuba, Peregrina is a popular ornamental shrub in Tamilnadu and it grows to a height of about 2 meters. The plant discharges water sap when wounded. The simple leaf is arranged in an alternate and spiral manner. The leaf petiole and leaf length stand at around 2.6 cm 7 cm respectively. The leaf is elliptic-ova in shape and is tri-lobed. The leaf base is cuneate and each of the leaf lobe end in an acuminate tip. The upper side of leaf is dark green and the lower side has a lighter shade of green. On the lower side the leaf nerves are exposed. The inflorescence is in the form of a terminal cyme. The flower has five petals which are colored in dark red. The flower measure around 1.7 cm across. The fruit is in the form of a 6 lobed capsule. The plant can be monoecious (the same plant has female and male flowers) or dioecious (male and female flower in different plants). The plant is a preferred ornamental in urban areas as it produces very little leaf litter: hence easier to manage. It produces flowers throughout the year and hence often planted in butterfly gardens.
