Castor oil plant

Synonym(s)

Castor oil plant; Christ Palm; common ricinus; Dog Tree; lice tree; Palma Christi; Roman bean; tropical wonder tree; Wonder tree more tropical

General information
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The castor bean tree, which belongs to the spurge family, is originally native to the tropics and subtropics. Meanwhile, the plant is also native to the Mediterranean region.

The castor tree reaches heights of up to 4m. It has a fast-growing, strong root from which woody stems grow. The shield-like, deeply toothed leaves, which are about 40 cm long, are usually violet green or reddish in colour. Ricinus communis flowers from July to October in panicle-like racemes.

Later, the tree produces capsule fruits about 2 cm in size that contain 3 reddish-brown, hard-coated seeds. The seeds are called castor beans. They contain the highly toxic ricin.

Ricinus communis is the parent plant of Semen ricini the castor seed.
The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) defines: Virgin castor oil (Ricini oleum virginale), Refined castor oil (Ricini oleum raffinatum), Hydrogenated castor oil (Ricini oleum hydrogenatum).

The castor oil extracted from the castor seed is used phytotherapeutically. Ricin does not pass into the end product when the oil is cold pressed. The end product is therefore not toxic. It is used in medicine as well as in technical professions (e.g. model making).

HMPC monograph: Well-established use: Laxative for the short-term treatment of occasional constipationESCOP
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Castor oil, diluted in alcohol (70%), is used as a hair and skin care product

Note(s)
This section has been translated automatically.

The shrub was first mentioned in documents of Egyptian medicine. The oil extracted from the castor bean has been used for centuries as fuel for lamps, and later also as a remedy.