Steinmetz:Ricinus

Ricinus communis

Also known as (or relevant to) Ricinus communis Family Euphorbiaceae English Names Castor oil tree Natural Habitat India (the principal producing country) West-Indies tropical Africa Egypt Indonesia Brazil China Southern Europe Azores Algeria Egypt Greece Part(s) Used Semen Ricini = Semen Cataputiae majoris Oleum Ricini

Constituent(s) ricin ricinin fatty oil albumen starch mucilage Action oil: purgative (not toxic); seed: toxic (the poisonous ingredients are left behind in the cake after pressing). Castor seed cake cannot be fed to cattle as it causes first purging and then death; it can be used as manure only

Links

• Information in Von Esenbeck's book