jalapa

Jalapa is a term with several meanings in geography and biology. In geography, Jalapa is an older spelling of Xalapa, the capital city of Veracruz, Mexico. The city—commonly known today as Xalapa-Enríquez—lies in the eastern Mexican highlands and serves as the state’s governmental and cultural hub. It hosts the Universidad Veracruzana and is noted for its colonial architecture and temperate climate. In modern usage, Xalapa is the standard spelling, while Jalapa survives in historical texts and some regional names.

Mirabilis jalapa, commonly called the four o'clock flower or Marvel of Peru, is a flowering plant in the Nyctaginaceae family. Native to western South America, it is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. It produces rounded umbels of fragrant blooms that open in late afternoon or evening and come in a variety of colors. The plant is generally herbaceous and can spread by self-seeding.

Ipomoea jalapa, or jalap, is a vining plant in the morning-glory family whose root has historical medicinal uses. The dried root was used as a purgative and a traditional medicine remedy in early pharmacopoeias. Because of safety concerns, its use is now limited and regulated in many countries.