Castor oil plant
75473
226008968
2008-07-16T12:37:37Z
99.148.62.172
removed unsourced (and very false sounding) statistic
{{Taxobox
| name = Castor oil plant
| image =Castor bean in distubred area.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Castor bean in disturbed area
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| phylum = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Malpighiales]]
| familia = [[Euphorbiaceae]]
| subfamilia = [[Acalyphoideae]]
| tribus = [[Acalypheae]]
| subtribus = '''Ricininae'''
| genus = '''''Ricinus'''''
| species = '''''R. communis'''''
| binomial = ''Ricinus communis''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
The '''castor oil plant''', ''Ricinus communis'', is a [[plant]] [[species]] of the [[Euphorbiaceae]] and the sole member of the [[genus]] ''Ricinus'' and of the [[subtribe]] Ricininae. Its seed is the castor bean which, despite its name, is not a true [[bean]].
Castor seed is the source of [[castor oil]], which has a wide variety of uses. The seeds contain between 40% and 60% oil that is rich in [[triglycerides]], mainly [[ricinolein]]. They also contain [[ricin]], a [[poison]], which is also present in lower concentrations throughout the plant.
The toxicity of raw castor beans is well-known, and reports of actual poisoning are relatively rare. Children could conceivably die from as few as three beans; adults may require eight or more. As an example of the rarity of castor bean poisoning, in recent years there have only been two cases reported in all of England, and both the victims recovered uneventfully.<ref>Wedin, G.P., Neal, J.S., Everson, G.W., and Krenzelok, E.P. 1986. ''Castor bean poisoning.'' Am J Emerg Med. 4(3): 259-61. ([http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=AbstractPlus&db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=3964368 abstract])</ref>
Castor seeds have been found in [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] tombs dating back to 4000 BC. [[Herodotus]] and other [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] travelers have noted the use of castor seed oil for lighting and body ointments.
Global castor seed production is around 1 million tons per year. Leading producing areas are [[India]], [[China]] and [[Brazil]]. There are several active breeding programmes.
==Nomenclature==
The name ''Ricinus'' is a [[Latin]] word for [[tick]]; the seed is so named because it has markings and a bump at the end which resemble certain ticks.
The common name "castor oil" likely comes from its use as a replacement for [[castoreum]], a perfume base made from the dried [[perineal]] glands of the [[beaver]] (''castor'' in Latin). It has another common name, Palm of Christ, or ''Palma Christi'', that derives from castor oil's ability to heal wounds and cure ailments.
==Habitat and growth==
Although castor is probably indigenous to the southeastern [[Mediterranean]] region and [[Eastern Africa]], today it is widespread throughout tropical regions. <ref>Phillips, Roger & Rix, Martyn (1999) ''Annuals and Biennials'' p106, Macmillan, London, ISBN 0 333 74889 1</ref> Castor establishes itself easily as an apparently "native" plant and can often be found on wasteland. It is widely grown as a crop in [[Ethiopia]]. It is also used extensively as a decorative plant in parks and other public areas, particularly as a "dot plant" in traditional bedding schemes.This plant is name '''''Ricnu''''' in Maltese.
[[Image:2006castor_oil_seed.PNG|thumb|left|Castor oil seed output in 2006]]
Although [[monotypic]], the castor oil plant can vary greatly in its growth habit and appearance. It is a fast-growing, [[Basal shoot|suckering]] [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[shrub]] which can reach the size of a small tree (around 12 m), but it is not [[Hardiness (plants)|hardy]]. However it grows well outside, at least in Southern England, and the leaves do not appear to suffer frost damage in sheltered spots, where it remains evergreen. In areas prone to [[frost]] it is usually shorter and grown as if it were an [[annual plant|annual]]: it can reach a height of 2–3 m in a year (if sown early, under glass, and kept at a temperature of around 20°Celsius/68°Fahreheit until planted out <ref>Phillips, Roger & Rix, Martyn (1999) ''Annuals and Biennials'' p106, Macmillan, London, ISBN 0 333 74889 1</ref>). The glossy [[Leaf|leaves]] are 15–45 cm long, palmate, with 5–12 deep lobes and toothed margins. Their colour varies from dark green, sometimes with a reddish tinge, to dark reddish purple or bronze. The stems and the spherical, spiny seed pods also vary in pigmentation. The pods are more showy than the flowers (the male flowers are yellowish-green with prominent creamy [[stamen]]s and are carried in ovoid spikes up to 15 cm long; the female flowers, borne at the tips of the spikes, have prominent red [[stigma (flower)|stigmas]]). <ref> Brickell, Christopher (ed) ''The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants'' (1996) pp884–5, Dorling Kindersley, London, ISBN 0 7513 0303 8</ref>
Selections have been made by breeders for use as ornamental plants: 'Gibsonii' has red-tinged leaves with reddish veins and pinkish-green seed pods; 'Carmencita Pink' is similar, with pinkish-red stems; 'Carmencita Bright Red' has red stems, dark purplish leaves and red seed pods; all grow to around 1.5 m tall as annuals. <ref>Phillips, Roger & Rix, Martyn (1999) ''Annuals and Biennials'' p106, Macmillan, London, ISBN 0 333 74889 1</ref> 'Impala' is compact (only 1.2 m tall) with reddish foliage and stems, brightest on the young shoots; 'Red Spire' is tall (2–3 m) with red stems and bronze foliage; 'Zanzibarensis' is also tall (2–3 m), with large, mid-green leaves (50 cm long) with white midribs. (Heights refer to plants grown as annuals.) <ref> Brickell, Christopher (ed) ''The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopaedia of Garden Plants'' (1996) p885, Dorling Kindersley, London, ISBN 0 7513 0303 8</ref>
==Plant-animal interactions==
''Ricinus communis'' is the host plant of the Common Castor butterfly (''[[Ariadne merione]]'') and the Castor Semi-Looper moth (''[[Achaea janata]]''). It is also used as a food plant by the [[larva]]e of some other species of [[Lepidoptera]], including ''[[Hypercompe|Hypercompe hambletoni]]'' and the Nutmeg (''[[Discestra trifolii]]'').
Among [[bird]]s, it is a favourite food of the [[Tambourine Dove]] (''Turtur tympanistria'').
Castor beans are very toxic and deadly to dogs.
==Uses==
{{main|Castor oil}}
'''Usage in ethnobotany'''
The use of castor seed oil in [[India]] has been documented since 2000 BC for use in lamps and in local medicine as a [[laxative]], [[purgative]], and [[cathartic]] in [[Unani]], [[Ayurvedic]] and other [[ethnomedical]] systems.
Castor seed and its oil have also been used in [[China]] for centuries, mainly prescribed in local medicine for internal use or use in dressings. <!--for wounds?-->
The oil has [[undecylenic acid]], a powerful chemical for dermal fungus.
The oil is known to have been used as an instrument of coercion by the [[Fascist]] militia (Camicie Nere) under the regime of Italian dictator [[Benito Mussolini]]. Dissidents and regime opponents were forced to ingest the oil in large amounts, triggering severe [[diarrhoea]] and [[dehydration]], which could ultimately cause death. This punishment method was originally thought of by [[Gabriele D'Annunzio]], the Italian poet and Fascist supporter, during the First World War.
It was used in rituals of sacrifice to please the gods in early civilizations.
In Brazil, castor plants are abundant. The "fruits" are used by children as slingshot balls. Mamonas, as the fruits are called, serve perfectly as projectiles for slingshots since they have the right weight, size and hardness. Mamona oil is now being used to produce biodiesel in poor rural areas of the country.
== Production ==
[[India]] is world leader in Castor Beans Production follwed by [[China]] and then [[Brazil]].
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="wikitable" align=left style="clear:left"
! colspan=5|Top Ten Castor Beans Producers — 2005
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30%" | Country
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="25%" | Production (Int $1000)
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Footnote
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="25%" | Production (MT)
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Footnote
|-
| {{IND}} || 351,332 || C || 870,000 || *
|-
| {{PRC}} || 108,226 || C || 268,000 || *
|-
| {{BRA}} || 71,374 || C || 176,743 || F
|-
| {{ETH}} || 6,057 || C || 15,000 || F
|-
| {{PRY}} || 4,644 || C || 11,500 ||
|-
| {{THA}} || 4,038 || C || 10,000 || F
|-
| {{VNM}} || 2,181 || C || 5,400 || F
|-
| {{ZAF}} || 1,979 || C || 4,900 || F
|-
| {{PHL}} || 1,615 || C || 4,000 || *
|-
| {{AGO}} || 1,413 || C || 3,500 || F
|-
|colspan=5 style="font-size:.7em"|No symbol = official figure,F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial figure, C = Calculated figure;<br />
Production in Int $1000 have been calculated based on 1999-2001 international prices<br />
Source: [http://www.fao.org/es/ess/top/commodity.html?lang=en&item=265&year=2005 Food And Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic And Social Department: The Statistical Devision]
|}
{{-}}
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Pollen Ricinus communis sanguineus.jpg|''Ricinus communis'', pollen (scanning electron microscope image)
Image:Castor_beans.jpg|''Ricinus communis'', seed
Image:Ricinus communis1.jpg|''Ricinus communis'', fruit
Image:Young castor bean plant showing prominent cotyledons.jpg|Seedling showing prominent [[cotyledon]]s
Image:CastorBean_Leaves_Flowers_and_YoungFruit.jpg|''Ricinus communis'', flowers & fruit
Image:Ricinus comm leaves.jpg|''Ricinus communis'' "Carmencita", garden in the Netherlands
Image:Ricinus closer 9-2-06.jpg|''Ricinus communis''
</gallery>
==Common Names==
[[India]]: [[Hindi]] - AranDi, [[Marathi]] - Erand, [[Malayalam]] - Aavanakku<br/>
[[Puerto Rico]]: Higuereta<br/>
[[Brazil]]: Carrapateiro, mamona<br />
[[Nicaragua]]: Higuera or higueria<br />
[[Portugal]]: Figueira do Diabo <br/>
[[Ethiopia]]: Gulo <br/>
[[Mexico]]: Higuerilla
==References==
<references/>
==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=Everitt |first=J.H. |coauthors=Lonard, R.L., Little, C.R. |title=Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico |publisher=Texas Tech University Press |location=Lubbock |year=2007}} ISBN 0-89672-614-2
==See also==
* [[Castor oil]]
* [[ricin]]
* [[poison]]
==External links==
{{Commons|Ricinus communis}}
*[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Ricinus_communis.html ''Ricinus communis L.''] at Purdue University
*[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/castor.html ''Castor beans''] at Purdue University
*[http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html ''Ricinus communis'' (castor bean)] at Cornell University
[[Category:Euphorbiaceae]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Poisonous plants]]
[[Category:Flora of the Maldives]]
[[ar:خروع]]
[[bg:Рицин]]
[[ca:Ricí]]
[[da:Ricinus]]
[[de:Wunderbaum]]
[[es:Ricinus communis]]
[[eo:Ricino]]
[[fr:Ricin commun]]
[[ko:아주까리]]
[[id:Jarak pohon]]
[[it:Ricinus communis]]
[[he:קיקיון מצוי]]
[[ka:აბუსალათინი]]
[[hu:Ricinus]]
[[nl:Wonderboom]]
[[ja:トウゴマ]]
[[pl:Rącznik pospolity]]
[[pt:Mamona]]
[[fi:Risiini]]
[[sv:Ricin (växt)]]
[[vi:Thầu dầu]]
[[to:Lepo]]
[[tr:Hint yağı bitkisi]]
[[uk:Рицина]]
[[zh:蓖麻]]