Bellyache bush
Jatropha gossypiifolia
family
Euphorbiaceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Category 3 Restricted Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)
Must not be distributed or disposed. This means it must not be released into the environment unless the distribution or disposal is authorised in a regulation or under a permit.
Common names
Bellyache bush, Cotton-leaf jatropha, Cotton leaf physic nut, Black physicnut, American purging nut, Purging nut, Red fig-nut flower, Wild cassava.
An upright shrub or small tree usually growing 0.7-4 m tall. Its stems are thick and exude a soapy sap when broken. Its alternately arranged leaves have three or five pointed lobes and are dark reddish-purple when young. Its small flowers are dark red with yellow centres and are borne in clusters in the upper leaf forks. Its three-lobed fleshy capsules each contain three seeds.
Impact
Impact
Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia) is regarded as an important environmental weed in the Northern Territory, Queensland and the northern parts of Western Australia. It was recently listed as a priority environmental weed in five Natural Resource Management regions, and is even ranked among the top 200 most invasive plant species in south-eastern Queensland.Of particular concern is the impact that this species has on riparian habitats in semi-arid regions. It these areas it replaces native vegetation and may delay or prevent regeneration of native shrubs and trees. Extensive bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia ) thickets may also degrade wildlife habitat and reduce both plant and animal biodiversity at a local level.The most extensive infestations in Queensland exist within the Burdekin River catchment, where it extends from north of Charters Towers to the Burdekin river mouth and back along many of its tributaries, including the catchments of the Bowen, Suttor, Bogie and Belyando Rivers. Smaller populations are also present in the Banana, Broadsound, Bourke, Cook, Dauringa, Emerald, Peak Downs, Flinders, Fitzroy, Jericho and Whitsunday shires.In the Northern Territory, bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia) occurs in the Darwin, Katherine, Middle Point, Batchelor, Willeroo, Mataranka and Daly Waters regions. Large infestations also occur to the south-west of Katherine, on Tipperary Station and on Channel Island. Populations in Western Australia are mainly located in the eastern part of the Kimberley region. For more information see the Queensland Government
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia) is regarded as an important environmental weed in the Northern Territory, Queensland and the northern parts of Western Australia. It was recently listed as a priority environmental weed in five Natural Resource Management regions, and is even ranked among the top 200 most invasive plant species in south-eastern Queensland.Of particular concern is the impact that this species has on riparian habitats in semi-arid regions. It these areas it replaces native vegetation and may delay or prevent regeneration of native shrubs and trees. Extensive bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia ) thickets may also degrade wildlife habitat and reduce both plant and animal biodiversity at a local level.The most extensive infestations in Queensland exist within the Burdekin River catchment, where it extends from north of Charters Towers to the Burdekin river mouth and back along many of its tributaries, including the catchments of the Bowen, Suttor, Bogie and Belyando Rivers. Smaller populations are also present in the Banana, Broadsound, Bourke, Cook, Dauringa, Emerald, Peak Downs, Flinders, Fitzroy, Jericho and Whitsunday shires.In the Northern Territory, bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia) occurs in the Darwin, Katherine, Middle Point, Batchelor, Willeroo, Mataranka and Daly Waters regions. Large infestations also occur to the south-west of Katherine, on Tipperary Station and on Channel Island. Populations in Western Australia are mainly located in the eastern part of the Kimberley region. For more information see the Queensland Government
