Jatropha curcas L.- Jarak Pagar Bahasa Indonesia klik di sini
Jatropha curcas L.- Jarak Pagar 

Source: Private document, 2022

Taxonmy
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Subphylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Euphorbiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Jatropha
Species: Jatropha curcas L.
(Linnaeus, 1753)

Leave

Branch


Flower
Sources: Private dokument, 2022

Morphology
Jarak Pagar (jatropha curcas L.) is a plant whose flower shape is similar to a yellow-green cup. The flowers have 5 purplish colored crowns. The leaves are a single leaf, notched and angled at 3 or 5 angles. The length of the leaves can reach 5-15 cm. Leaf bones are fingered with a total of 5-7 leaf bones. The fruit of Jarak Pagar is circular shape, has three cavities that are 2 cm long and 1 cm thick, has yellow color and turns black when it is ripe. Fruit formation takes 90 days from flowering to seed ripening (de Padua et al., 1999). It can reach 1-7 meters high, branching irregularly (Hambali et al. 2006).

Distribution & Habitat
Jarak Pagar is a plant native to tropical-climate American Countries. Therefore, this type of plant is now widely spread in several tropical countries, including Indonesia, especially in the islands of Java and Madura. In Indonesia, the Jarak Pagar is widely used as a home yard fence and for reforestation.

Potential
Jarak Pagar has useful compounds to be used as medicine, its contain phenol, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloid compounds (Ehsanet, et al., 2011). According to Zasa (2012), the bark extract of the Jarak Pagar plant contains saponin, steroid, tannin, glycoside, alkaloid, and flavonoid. In addition, the seeds have various fatty acid namely myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, archidic acid, benedict, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. This fatty acid compound can be extracted can reproduce oil which can be used as biodiesel. The seed of Jarak Pagar plant contain higher protein than soybean (Hambali & Suryani: 2007).

Utilization
Jarak Pagar is usually used to treat various types of diseases tradidionally (Rahmawan, 2008). The sap can be used to heal wounds and as an antiseptic, as a fuel for bioethanol and food. According to Sarimole, et al. (2014) from its leaves, fruit, seeds, and sap,  Jarak Pagar can cure several other diseases such as ear inflammation, toothache, mouth sprue, flatulence, wind, constipation, fungus, itching, swelling, bleeding, rheumatism, cough, and as sputum swelling. Meanwhile, this part of the dregs from the seed can be used as raw material for making animal food (Syakir, 2010).

References
Hambali, E & Suryani, A. (2007). Jarak pagar tanaman penghasil biodiesel. Jakarta: Penebar Swadaya, 2007

De Padua dkk (1999) de Padua, N. Bunyapraphatsara & R.H.M.J. Lemmens (Eds), Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(1). Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.

Syakir (2010). Prospek dan Kendala Pengembangan Jarak Pagar (Jatropha Curcas L.)Sebagai Bahan Bakar Nabati di Indonesia. Perspektif: 9(2): 55-65)

Sarimole E., Martosupono M., Semangun H., Mangimbulude J.C. (2014). Manfaat jarak pagar (Jatropha Curcas) sebagai obat tradisional. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Raja Ampat.

Zasa, M. (2014). Manfaat Tanaman Jarak Pagar.