Castor oil plant
Castor Oil Plant
The Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis), is a species of perennial plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus, Ricinus, and subtribe, Ricininae. The plant is native to the Mediterranean region, East Africa, and India.
Pronunciation
Castor Oil Plant: /ˈkæstər ɔɪl plænt/
Etymology
The term "castor oil" comes from its use as a replacement for castoreum, a perfume base made from the dried perineal glands of the beaver (castor in Latin). The plant is named Ricinus communis which is derived from the Latin word Ricinus meaning "tick", due to the seed's resemblance to a particular species of tick.
Description
The Castor Oil Plant is a fast-growing, robust, evergreen shrub, capable of reaching heights of up to 12 meters in tropical climates. The plant has glossy large foliage with prominent veins and green to reddish flowers. The fruit is a spiny, greenish (to reddish-purple) capsule containing large, oval, shiny, bean-like, highly poisonous seeds with variable brownish mottling.
Uses
The plant is cultivated for the production of castor oil, which is used in a variety of industrial applications, including the manufacture of biodiesel, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids, paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold resistant plastics, waxes and polishes, nylon, pharmaceuticals, and perfumes.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Castor oil plant
- Wikipedia's article - Castor oil plant
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