Science Forums 2

[Michaelangelica]

Poison plant could help to cure the planet

The hardy jatropha, resilient to pests and resistant to drought, produces seeds with up to 40 per cent oil content.
When the seeds are crushed, the resulting jatropha oil can be burnt in a standard diesel car, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.

Even Bob Geldof has stamped his cachet on jatropha, by becoming a special adviser to Helius Energy, a British company developing the use of jatropha as an alternative to fossil fuels. Lex Worrall, its chief executive, says: “Every hectare can produce 2.7 tonnes of oil and about 4 tonnes of biomass. Every 8,000 hectares of the plant can run a 1.5 megawatt station, enough to power 2,500 homes.”[/quote]
Poison plant could help to cure the planet - Times Online

WIKI:-
Jatropha oil is vegetable oil produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas, a plant that can grow in wastelands. Jatropha curcas grows almost anywhere, even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can thrive on the poorest stony soil. It can grow even in the crevices of rocks.

Developed in India as a fuel oil, it has received wide attention, particularly in Asia (e.g. Indonesia[1] and the Philippines,[2]) as a source of biodiesel
Jatropha is a one-stage conversion to biodiesel and the oil produces 40-42 MJ/kg, as compared with 42.5-45 MJ/kg for standard diesel.[6]

Researchers at Daimler Chrysler Research[7] explored the use of jatropha oil for automotive use, concluding that although jatropha oil as fuel "has not yet reached optimal quality, ... it already fulfills the EU norm for biodiesel quality."[8

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Looks lite a potential weed of mighty proportions, then we made need such hardy plants.
I wonder how much water it needs?

I wonder how it compares with Gopher weed, strangely, I can't find Gopher weed on Wiki

It looks tropical.

Distributional range:

Native:

* NORTHERN AMERICA
Mexico
* SOUTHERN AMERICA
Mesoamerica: Belize; Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua
Brazil: Brazil
Western South America: Bolivia; Peru
Southern South America: Argentina; Paraguay

Other:

* widely cultivated & naturalized elsewhere in New World & Old World tropics

It may have some medicinal potential

n.