castor-oil plant

castor-oil plant
/kas"teuhr oyl", kah"steuhr-/
a tall plant, Ricinus communis, of the spurge family, cultivated for its ornamental foliage and having poisonous seeds that are the source of castor oil. Also called castor bean.
[1835-45]

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Large plant (Ricinus communis) of the spurge family, probably native to Africa and naturalized throughout the tropics.

It is grown commercially for the pharmaceutical and industrial uses of its oil and for use in landscape gardening because of its handsome, giant, fanlike leaves. The bristly, spined, bronze-to-red clusters of fruits are attractive but are often removed before they mature because of the poison concentrated in their mottled, beanlike seeds. There are hundreds of natural forms and many horticultural varieties of this species.

Castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis).

Kenneth and Brenda Formanek/EB Inc.

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plant
      (Ricinus communis), large plant, of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), grown commercially for the pharmaceutical and industrial uses of its oil and for use in landscaping because of its handsome, giant, 12-lobed, palmate (fanlike) leaves. The bristly, spined, bronze-to-red clusters of fruits are attractive but often are removed before they mature because of the poison ricin concentrated in their mottled, beanlike seeds. Probably native to Africa, this species has become naturalized throughout the tropical world. The plants are chiefly cultivated in India and Brazil, largely for their oil. In the tropics the plants reach about 10 to 13 m (30 to 40 feet) in height. In temperate climates they are raised as annuals and grow 1.5 to 2.4 m in a single season. Although R. communis is the only species in its genus, there are hundreds of natural forms and many horticultural varieties.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • CASTOR-OIL PLANT — (Heb. קִיקָיוֹן, kikayon), the kikayon in the shade of which the prophet Jonah sat outside Nineveh after his prophecy concerning that city s destruction had not been fulfilled. He was glad of the shade, but God prepared a worm that attacked the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • castor-oil plant — [kas′tər oil′] n. a tropical plant (Ricinus communis) of the spurge family, with seeds (castor beans) from which castor oil is extracted …   English World dictionary

  • Castor-oil plant — Castor oil Cas tor oil (k[a^]s t[ e]r oil ). A mild cathartic oil, expressed or extracted from the seeds of the {Ricinus communis}, or {Palma Christi}. When fresh the oil is inodorous and insipid. [1913 Webster] {Castor oil plant}. Same as {Palma …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • castor-oil plant — n a tropical Old World herb of the genus Ricinus (R. communis) widely grown as an ornamental or for its oil rich castor beans that are a source of castor oil …   Medical dictionary

  • Castor oil plant — Taxobox name = Castor oil plant image width = 240px image caption = Castor bean in disturbed area regnum = Plantae phylum = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Malpighiales familia = Euphorbiaceae subfamilia = Acalyphoideae tribus =… …   Wikipedia

  • castor-oil-plant — paprastasis ricinmedis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Karpažolinių šeimos aliejinis, dekoratyvinis, prieskoninis, vaistinis nuodingas augalas (Ricinus communis), kilęs iš Afrikos. Iš jo gaminami maisto priedai (kvėpikliai), gaunami… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • castor oil plant — ricinmedis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Karpažolinių (Euphorbiaceae) šeimos augalų gentis (Ricinus). atitikmenys: lot. Ricinus angl. castor bean plant; castor oil plant vok. Rizinus; Wunderbaum rus. клещевина lenk. kleszczowina; rącznik …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • castor-oil plant — Palma Christi Pal ma Chris ti [L., palm of Christ.] (Bot.) A plant ({Ricinus communis}) with ornamental peltate and palmately cleft foliage, growing as a woody perennial in the tropics, and cultivated as an herbaceous annual in temperate regions; …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • castor oil plant — japoninė fatsija statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Aralijinių šeimos dekoratyvinis augalas (Fatsia japonica), paplitęs rytų Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Fatsia japonica angl. castor oil plant; fatsi; glossy leaf paperplant; Japanese fatsia;… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • castor-oil plant — cas′tor oil′ plant pln a tall plant, Ricinus communis, of the spurge family, cultivated for its ornamental foliage and poisonous seeds that yield castor oil Also called castor bean 2) • Etymology: 1835–45 …   From formal English to slang

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