Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae)
Common names in Jamaica: Castor oil , oil nut , whole wife , catcus
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Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae)
Common names in Jamaica: Castor oil, oil nut, whole wife, catcus Other common name in Jamaica: Castor oil plant (Adams, 1972)
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 I. Vandebroek, D. Picking, Popular Medicinal Plants in Portland and Kingston, Jamaica, Advances in Economic Botany, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48927-4_21
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21 Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae)
Botanical characteristics and propagation Evergreen, fast-growing shrub or small tree that grows up to 5 m tall with a strong taproot and noticeable lateral roots. The shoots have a color that ranges from dull grayish-green to red. Stems and branches carry conspicuous nodes and ring-like scars. Leaves spirally arranged, peltate, divided into seven or more coarsely serrate lobes. Male and female flowers found on the same plant, clustered on a terminal spike (CABI, 2020). The spiny fruits (capsules) contain brown-beige speckled seeds that are highly toxic when chewed. The species is probably native to Northeast Africa (Somalia and possibly Ethiopia) and naturalized across the African continent and on the islands in the Indian Ocean (CABI, 2020). The plant is widely cultivated and naturalized in (sub)tropical America and Asia and in temperate regions of Europe. Propagated by seeds.
Where to find the plant Common on waste ground, along roadsides, and as a cultivated plant. The species prolifically produces fruits which explosively release their seeds when mature (CABI, 2020). It grows wild in Downtown Kingston. Older people know how to make castor oil traditionally, by pounding and boiling the seeds during the full moon.
Part used The leaf and the oil derived from the seeds. Caution! Some people have mentioned that “the seed can be chewed,” but the seeds are highly toxic, particularly when chewed or soaked in water, and ingestion, should be avoided at all times. The poisonous substance in the seed is the chemical compound, ricin, a glycoprotein lectin. A significant proportion of reported ricin poisoning involves castor bean ingestion (Audi et al., 2005). The reported levels of ricin content in castor beans vary, but are in the range of 1–5%. Ricin is synthesized and found exclusively in the endosperm of the bean. Following separation of the oil from the bean, ricin is found only in the discarded pulp. No ricin remains in the oil, and, in addition, ricin is inactivated during oil extraction under heated conditions (Audi et al., 2005; Balint, 1974; Musshoff and Madea, 2009). According to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel’s final report on castor oil, one does not have to worry about the oil being contaminated by ricin, and castor oil has been safely added to cosmetic products for many years, without incidents (Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, 2007).
Jamaican cultural uses and beliefs
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Jamaican cultural uses and beliefs Castor oil has veterinary uses in Jamaica to speed up birth and treat poisoning. In Winds
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