Ratanjyot:

Often called a coffee plant (but definately NOT), this bush has the most beautiful foilage youll ever see! The new leaves on the top of each branch are a lovely purple-red which contrast with the small scarlet blooms, which attract small butterflies and other pollinators, and the large bright green seed pods. The leaves shine in the sun and it will reach 3 tall and easily as wide in one growing season. 

Grow in full sun or part shade (but the lovely color on the leaves shows better in the sun). Hardy to zone 9b/10 - self sowing annual in other zones. I have not had good luck growing these in containers - they do MUCH, MUCH better growing directly in the ground in sandy, well draining, fairly dry soil and full sun. If youd like to grow in a container, provide very good drainage and use a sandy potting mix water only when top 1 of soil is dry.

This plant will self-seed and volunteer plants will appear around it. These are easily pulled up (and shared with friends?), but be aware of this. 

NOTE: SEEDS OF THIS PLANT ARE POISONOUS IF INGESTED and its sap is a skin irritant.

Taxonomical Classification

Family: Euphorbiaceae

VERNACULAR NAMES

Sanskrit: Rakta-Vyaaghrairanda, dravanti
English: Tua-Tua, Sibidigua, Puppet seed plant, Physic nut, Bellyache Bush, Cotton Leaf
Hindi: रतनजोती, Ratanjoti, bherenda, mayla, ratan-jhad, ratanjhad, ratanjoti, ratanjyot
Telugu: naepaalemu, nala amida, nalamudamu, nepalamu, nepalemu, seema-nepalamu, seemanaepaalemu, seemanepalam, simanepalamu, simanepalemu, yerra dundimalu
Bengali: Lal Bherenda
Oriya: Rangakalo
Tamil: சிறிய ஆமணக்கு, Siria Amanakku,aadalai, adalai, adali, atalai1, atlai, cimaiyamanakku, cimaiyatalai, cimaiyatalaicceti, civappatalai2, civappatalaicceti2, katta-manakku, kattamanakku, kattamanakku1, nakkurotam, parainitacceti, parainitam, simaiyamanakku, sumaiyaman, vatalai
Malayalam: Seemayavanakku, Chuvanna Kadalavanakku, Chuvannakadalavanakku, katalavanakku, seema avanakku, shimaavanakku, simayavanakku
Kannada: Chikka, Kada, Haralu, chikka kaada haralu, chikka kaadu haralu, chikka turuka, hatthi yele haralu, hattiaela visha haralu, kari thruku haralu, kari-turukaharalu, kariturakaharalu, kariturukaharalu
Spanish: Frailecillo (Cuba), Frailecito (Cuba), Piñón de España, San Jean del Cobre (Cuba), Túa-túa (Dominican Republic), Yuca cimarrona, Yuca morada, Yuca silvestre.
Japanese: ヤトロファ・ゴシピフォリア Yatorofa goshipiforia.
Chinese: Ye lie yan ma feng shu
French: Médecinier bâtard, Manioc à feuilles de cotonnier, Médicinier barachin, Petit médicinier (Haiti).
German: Bauchwehbusch Ilicano: Balautandoiong, Tagumbau-a-nalabaga, Taua-taua
Nepal: Laal baghandi, Sajyon

Synonyms

Synonyms in Ayurveda: Ratanjyot, Ratanjyoti

Parts used for medicinal purpose

Bark, Leaves, Seed, ,

Morphology:

Shrubs, purplish green and glandular hairy on younger parts. Leaves in close spiral, deeply 3-5-lobed, 7-11 x 8-12 cm, orbicular-cordate, margin with gland-tipped hairs, lobes obtusely acuminate, 5-nerved; stipules glandular-hairy; petiole 3-10 cm long, glandular-hairy. Flowers red with yellow centre, unisexual in axillary and terminal monoecious corymbose cymes. Bracts linear-lanceolate, glandular-hairy. Male perianth lobes free, biseriate, reddish-brown, outer c. 5 mm long, lanceolate, inner ones c. 4 mm long, obovate, villous at base within. Stamens 8-10. Female tepals 5. Stamens 8, biseriate. Ovary 3-celled; ovules solitary in each; styles 3, connate below. Capsule 1.3-17 x 1-1.4 cm, 3-lobed. Seeds oblong, 3-gonous.

Geographical distribution:

Global Distribution

Native of South America, planted elsewhere in the tropics

Indian distribution

State - Kerala, District/s: Kottayam, Alappuzha, Kasaragode, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Palakkad, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram, Wayanad, Thrissur, Malappuram

General Use:

Leaf and seed—purgative. 

Pharmacological:

Anticancer Diterpenoid,  Anti-inflammatory activity,  Free Radical Scavenging Potential,  Molluscicidal effect,  Toxicity and its detoxifying enzyme activities, Insecticidal activity, Antibacterial activity,  Haemostatic agent.

Research:

Photos of Ratanjyot -

KEY WORDS: Rataanjot, Ratanjyoti, Ratanjyot

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