Antiquity, botany, origin and domestication of Jatropha  curcas (Euphorbiaceae), a plant species with potential for biodiesel  production.
Jatropha curcas is a multi-purpose plant species, with many advantages  for biodiesel production. Its potential oil productivity is 1.9 t/ha, beginning  the fourth year after planting. Nevertheless, limitations such as high harvest  cost, lack of scientific konowledge and low profitability have prevented it  from being utilized commercially. In order to provide information that could be  useful to improve the status of this species as a bioenergy plant, we  elucidated the center of origin and the center of domestication of J. curcas (Mexico). Evidence of the antiquity of knowledge of J. curcas by  Olmeca people, who lived 3500-5000 years ago, reinforces its Mexican origin.  The existence of non-toxic types, which only exist in that country, along with  DNA studies, also strongly suggest that Mexico is the domestication center of  this species. In Brazil, the Northern region of Minas Gerais State presents  types with the highest oil content. Here we propose this region as a secondary  center of diversity of J. curcas.
Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brasil. lasdias@ufv.br
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D056804:Biofuels; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001901:Botany / Q000266:history*; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D049690:History, Ancient; D031286:Jatropha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*
D056804:Biofuels