Unraveling cryptic lineages in Jatropha nana : phylogenetic evidence supports species status for J. benghalensis (Euphorbiaceae)

The taxonomic framework of the genus Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae) is well established, but its geophytic species present significant classification challenges. These difficulties arise from species complexes, cryptic traits, and high environmental and phenotypic variability. This study proposes the new species combination Jatropha benghalensis , based on a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis using three DNA barcodes: ITS2 , psb A‐ trn H and trn L‐ trn F. The phylogenetic tree constructed from the concatenated dataset reveals a distinct placement of J. benghalensis , separate from J. nana , with which it was previously grouped as a taxonomic variety. Notably, indels observed in the chloroplast spacer regions contribute significantly to the molecular distinction between J. benghalensis and J. nana . This study highlights the utility of chloroplast markers and their effectiveness in resolving interspecific boundaries within complex plant groups.