Ricinus communis
Ricinus communis
Safety & Hazards
The whole plant is very poisonous[ 10 Title Poisonous Plants and Animals. Publication Author Altmann. H. Publisher Chatto and Windus Year 1980 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8 Description A small book, reasonable but not very detailed. , 19 Title Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Stary. F. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3 Description Not very comprehensive, but easy reading. , 20 Title Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Publication Author Riotte. L. Publisher Garden Way, Vermont, USA. Year 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0 Description Fairly good. ], even one seed has been known to be lethal to children[ 65 Title A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. Publisher Wolfe Year 1984 ISBN 0723408394 Description Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far. , 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. , 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. There is no specific antidote[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. The seedcoat contains an extremely lethal poison, called 'ricin', that was once used by the KGB to dispose of their enemies[ 260 Title Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Publication Author Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Publisher Pan Books, London. Year 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5 Description Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside. , 1314 Title Toxic effect of some medicinal plants used in Moroccan traditional medicine Publication Moroccan J. Biol. 2-3 (2006) 21-30 Author Mohamed Bnouham; Fatima Zahra Merhfour; Mostafa Elachoui; Ab Publisher Year 2006 ISBN Description ]. The leaves are only mildly poisonous[ 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. ]. The toxic principle is water-soluble so is not found in the oil[ 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. ].
Botanical Description
Ricinus communis is a much-branched, short-lived perennial plant with stout, hollow stems that become more or less woody and persist. A fast-growing plant in the wild, where it can grow up to 12 metres tall, in cultivation it is usually smaller, rarely exceeding 4 metresd[ 188 Title The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Publication Author Brickell. C. Publisher Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. Year 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7 Description Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses. , 260 Title Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Publication Author Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Publisher Pan Books, London. Year 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5 Description Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside. , 1003 Title Invasive lant Species of the World; a reference guide to envoronmental weeds. Publication Author Weber E. Publisher Biddles Ltd., King's Lynn, UK Year 2005 ISBN 0-85199-695-7 Description Contains information on the habit and growth patterns of 450 recognised invasive species of plant. ]. The plant has a long history of cultivation as an oil-bearing and medicinal plant, having been grown in ancient Egypt[ 238 Title Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Publication Author Bown. D. Publisher Dorling Kindersley, London. Year 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31 Description A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant. ]. It is still widely cultivated for its seed in tropical and sub-tropical zones[ 1 Title RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Publication Author F. Chittendon. Publisher Oxford University Press Year 1951 ISBN - Description Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]). , 61 Title A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Publication Author Usher. G. Publisher Constable Year 1974 ISBN 0094579202 Description Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader. ]. There are many named varieties, some developed for ornamental use and others for oil production[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. , 269 Title Handbook of Energy Crops Publication Author Duke. J. Website https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/dukeindex.html Publisher - Year 1983 ISBN - Description Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants. ]. The plant is often cultivated as an oil crop and also as an ornamental. Its seeds, which are spread by birds and mammals, an lie dormant in the soil for several years until disturbed. The plant often escapes from cultivation and establishes itself as a weed - fast-growing from seed, it forms thickets that shade out native flora. It has been declared a weed in many countries[ 1003 Title Invasive lant Species of the World; a reference guide to envoronmental weeds. Publication Author Weber E. Publisher Biddles Ltd., King's Lynn, UK Year 2005 ISBN 0-85199-695-7 Description Contains information on the habit and growth patterns of 450 recognised invasive species of plant. ].