Jatropha curcas is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that is native to the American tropics, most likely Mexico and Central America.

[7] However, edible (non-toxic) varieties native to Mexico also exist, known by the local population as piñón manso, xuta, chuta, aishte, among others.

[12] The seeds contain 27–40% oil[13] (average: 34.4%[14]) that can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel fuel, usable in a standard diesel engine.

[19] Edible (non-toxic) varieties, as those developed by selection by ethnic Mexican natives in Veracruz, can be used for animal feed and food.

The flowers only develop terminally (at the end of a stem), so a good ramification (plants presenting many branches) produces the greatest amount of fruits.

[citation needed] Jatropha oil is not suitable for human consumption, as it induces strong vomiting and diarrhea.

[citation needed] When jatropha seeds are crushed, the resulting jatropha oil can be processed to produce a high-quality biofuel or biodiesel that can be used in a standard diesel car or further processed into jet fuel, while the residue (press cake) can also be used as biomass feedstock to power electricity plants, or used as fertilizer (it contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium).

[41] However, despite its abundance and use as an oil and reclamation plant, none of the Jatropha species has been properly domesticated and, as a result, its productivity is variable, and the long-term impact of its large-scale use on soil quality and the environment is unknown.

Archer Daniels Midland Company, Bayer CropScience and Daimler AG have a joint project to develop jatropha as a biofuel.

The project is supported by DaimlerChrysler and by the German Association for Investment and Development (Deutschen Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, DEG).

[45] On December 30, 2008, Air New Zealand flew the first successful test flight from Auckland with a Boeing 747 running one of its four Rolls-Royce engines on a 50:50 blend of jatropha oil and jet A-1 fuel.

The two-hour test flight could mark another promising step for the airline industry to find cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuel.

The fuel was a 70:30 traditional jet fuel biojet blend produced from Jatropha oil provided by three Mexican producers, Global Energías Renovables (a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.-based Global Clean Energy Holdings), Bencafser S.A. and Energy JH S.A. Honeywell's UOP processed the oil into Bio-SPK (Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene).

The mixture was a 50:50 mix of conventional jet fuel blended with jatropha oil from China National Petroleum Corp.

[49] On August 27, 2018 SpiceJet completed the first successful test flight by an Indian airline which used jatropha based biofuel.

[50] According to a 2013 study published by the European Geosciences Union,[51] the jatropha tree may have applications in the absorption of carbon dioxide, whose sequestration is important in combating climate change.

[52] This small tree is very resistant to aridity so it can be planted in hot and dry land in soil unsuitable for food production.

The plant does need water to grow though, so coastal areas where desalinated seawater can be made available are ideal.

[39] In 2005, Myanmar announced an initiative to harvest jatropha oil with the goal of being a 100% bio-diesel fueled country in response to rising costs of energy.

[59] In 2006, the State Peace and Development Council decreed that every farmer with landholdings of one acre plant 200 physic seed nuts around the plot's perimeter.

[60] In May 2008, the country was unable to mill and process biofuel before Cyclone Nargis turned the plantations into fields of rot.

[61] In 2017, the potential for the plant grown in Myanmar to be used as an anti-viral were investigated after its extracts showed evidence of inhibiting H1N1 variant of the influenza A virus.

Major concerns included its invasiveness, which could disrupt local biodiversity, as well as damage to water catchment areas.

[70][71] Xuta, chuta, aishte or piñón manso (among others) are some of the names given in Mexico to edible non-toxic Jatropha curcas.