Oct. 7--For generations, Vodou practitioners in rural Haiti have sworn by the mystic qualities of Jatropha, an indigenous plant believed to purge evil spirits and release the trapped souls of the dead.

But the shrub may soon be in bigger demand among the living. Jatropha shows tremendous promise as a source of biofuel in Latin America and the Caribbean, and especially Haiti, which suffers from chronic shortages of diesel fuel, electricity -- just about everything except Jatropha.

In June, Miami hosted a Jatropha World 2008 Conference that trumpeted the plant's properties. And later this week, alternative fuel sources such as Jatropha will likely share the spotlight again at an energy panel during the annual Americas Conference in Miami.

It has been known for decades that the oil-producing seeds of the Jatropha curcas, once they are crushed and processed, can be a potent source of energy. But now the so-called "miracle plant" is sparking heightened interest as oil prices skyrocket and reports filter out of India and Nepal of power plants there being fueled by Jatropha.

'A GREAT OPPORTUNITY'

The United States and Brazil -- the world's leading producer of ethanol -- signed an agreement last year to help Haiti, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and St. Kitts and Nevis explore the potential of Jatropha and other biofuel-producing plants. Scientists from both nations have toured Haiti to scout the potential for the plant's commercial cultivation.

"Jatropha offers a great opportunity for Haiti," said Mark Lambrides, chief of the energy and climate change division at the Organization of American States.

Jatropha, or Gwo Medsiyen, is everywhere in Haiti. For centuries, it has been part of the medicinal arsenal of Vodou priests and priestesses. They use it in burial ceremonies to banish evil spirits, in ritual baths, as a remedy for constipation, and as an acne cure.

It can also be used, Vodou practitioners believe, to physically harm one's enemies, through incantations. The toxic seed is dropped into a kerosene lamp, and the longer the lamp burns, the longer the harm is supposed to endure.

Haitian farmers also use Jatropha as a "living fence" to ward off crop-devouring goats. The plant's bitter taste is a goat repellent. And because the plant is highly toxic, there is no conflict -- as with corn and sugar cane -- over whether to use Jatropha to feed the hungry or fuel a diesel engine.

POWER PROBLEMS

Nowhere in the region is the need to find a renewable source of energy more glaring than in Haiti, where electricity is unreliable and often unavailable.