Castor oil plant

Originally, the castor bean tree, which belongs to the spurge family, is native to the tropics and subtropics. The plant is now also native to the Mediterranean region.

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

Later, the tree produces capsule fruits about 2 cm in size, which 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 bean or castor seed.
The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) specifies: Virgin castor oil(Ricini oleum virginale), Refined castor oil (Ricini oleum raffinatum), Hydrogenated castor oil (Ricini oleum hydrogenatum).

The castor oil obtained 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 non-toxic. It is used in medicine and in technical professions (e.g. model making), also as lamp oil.

HMPC monograph: Well-established use: Laxative for the short-term treatment of occasional constipation
ESCOP: not processed
Commission E: not processed

Castor oil, diluted in alcohol (70 %), is used as a hair and skin care product

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.

1. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/rizinus.php
2. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/draft-european-union-herbal-monograph-ricinus-communis-l-oleum_en.pdf
3. https://www.awl.ch/heilpflanzen/ricinus_communis/rizinus.htm
4. https://heilkraeuter.de/lexikon/rizinus.htm