Jatropha curcas

This can be burnt as fuel after expelling, like paraffin, or further cleaned to produce biofuel.

Jatropha curcas is a small tree of the Euphorbiaceae family native to Central America which was carried over most of the sub tropics by Portuguese traders.  The common name of Jatropha curcas is Physic or purging nut, also a reference to its medicinal history. It grows in most parts of Malawi from Nsanje to Ntchisi, varying altitude and climate. In Chichewa it is called nsatsi or nsatsi manga, in Tumbuka called mono.  The trees are fairly drought tolerant and quickly shed their leaves at the end of the rains in the absence of soil moisture. They respond positively to organic material incorporated in the soil and prefer well drained soil. Heavy clays and waterlogged soil restrict growth.  On the basis of data collected from Jatropha curcas grown in India, trees produce between 0.5 and 2.0kg seed / tree in plantations or 0.8 - 1.0kg seed / m of hedge (From websites jatropha.org and jatrophaworld.org and Satish Lele).  Of interest to BERL is the production of the seeds for oil.  This can be burnt as fuel without being refined, like paraffin, or refined to produce biofuel.

Family: Euphorbiaceae Synonyms: Curcas purgans Medic. Vernacular/common names: English- physic nut, purging nut; [Chichewa – nsatsi or nsatsi manga].