The three species have been named Jatropha livingstonei, Jatropha narasimhanii and Jatropha umashaankeri. Jatropha livingstonei honours C Livingstone, former professor of the Department of Botany at MCC, while Jatropha narasimhanii has been named after D Narasimhan, another former professor of the department. The third species, Jatropha umashaankeri, honours Umashaanker, former professor of the Department of Crop Physiology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.

Jatropha is mainly used to make bio-fuels. The research was carried out by U Senthil Kumar, Seema and Varnika of the MCC Department of Botany as part of a study on the cryptic diversity of Jatropha heynei. The team identified three distinct species using an integrated approach involving micromorphological studies, pollen morphology, seed-surface architecture, and nuclear and chloroplast DNA-based phylogenetic analyses.

Speaking to DT Next, Senthil Kumar said the newly identified plants are capable of surviving in extremely arid conditions. They have a tendency to develop tuber-like structures underground and can withstand periods of intense heat, he said, adding that the plants become less visible during the rainy season.

The researchers are now studying the potential commercial applications of the newly identified species. Jatropha plants are of particular interest for their potential use in biofuel production.

The discovery also provides new insights into the evolutionary history, biogeography, distribution and adaptation of jatropha species in southern India, particularly their association with the landscapes of the Deccan Plateau.