Home > Herbs > Ricinus Communis

castor bean plant

Ricinus communis · Accepted scientific name

Scientific literature: Very Extensive (756 studies) · ★★★★★

Castor bean plant, scientifically known as Ricinus communis, is a versatile perennial shrub prized for its medicinal and industrial properties. While its seeds contain the potent toxin ricin, they are a vital source of castor oil. This oil is widely used in traditional medicine and various modern pharmaceutical applications.

Family
Euphorbiaceae
Native range
Europe
Parts used
Leaf · Seed
Common names
Castor-Oil-Plant · Castor · 17 more
Scientific synonyms
Ricinus Communis Subvar. Americanus · Ricinus Communis Var. Armatus · 200 more

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Ricinus communis

Synonyms

Regional and Traditional Names

Spanish:

  • Ricinus microcarpus subsp spontaneus
  • Ricinus scaber
  • Ricinus perennis
  • Catapúcia mayor
  • Tartaguera
  • Ricinus armatus
  • Ricinus macrocarpus proles sanguineus
  • Ricinus microcarpus
  • Ricinus microcarpus proles indostanicus
  • Ricinus leucocarpus
  • Ricinus macrocarpus
  • Kerva
  • Ricinus megalosperma
  • Palma de Cristo
  • Ricinus macrocarpus proles japonicus
  • Hiera del demonio
  • Catapucia mayor
  • Ricino
  • higuerilla
  • Higuereta
  • Higuerilla roja
  • Palmacristi
  • Planta de castor

German:

  • Rizinus
  • Christuspalme
  • Palma Christi
  • Rizinusbaum
  • Hundsbaum
  • Läusebaum
  • Wunderbaum
  • Kreuzbaum
  • Palma Christi
  • Wunderbaum

French:

  • ricin commun
  • Ricin commun
  • Ricin sanguin
  • Palma Christi
  • Bois de Carapat
  • Ricin commun
  • carapate

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Malpighiales, it falls under the family Euphorbiaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Ricinus, specifically known as Ricinus communis.

Rank Classification
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Streptophyta
Class Equisetopsida
Subclass Magnoliidae
Order Malpighiales
Family Euphorbiaceae
Genus Ricinus

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse presence across several key regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its distribution can be observed within Great Britain. Moving toward the center of the continent, it is found throughout Middle Europe, specifically in Germany. The distribution extends significantly into Southwestern Europe, where it thrives in France. Finally, the plant is also well-established in the Southwestern European territories of Portugal and Spain.

Region Area
Northern Europe Great Britain
Middle Europe Germany
Southwestern Europe France
Southwestern Europe Portugal
Southwestern Europe Spain
Southeastern Europe Albania
Southeastern Europe Bulgaria
Southeastern Europe Greece
Southeastern Europe Italy
Southeastern Europe Romania

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Ricinus communis is characterized by a broad altitudinal distribution and a strong association with human-disturbed environments. This species thrives across a significant elevational gradient, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum altitude of 2650 m AMSL, with a mean elevational range centered around 1200 m AMSL. Its primary habitat is classified as "Área Antrópica" (anthropic areas), indicating that the plant frequently colonizes landscapes shaped by human activity, such as roadsides, abandoned fields, and urban margins, where it often functions as a pioneer species in disturbed soils.

Elevational range max:
2650 m AMSL
Elevational range mean:
1200 m AMSL
Elevational range min:
0 m AMSL
Habitat :
Área Antrópica

Genetics

The genetics of Ricinus communis are characterized by a specific chromosomal constitution, featuring a chromosome number of 10 or 20 depending on the specific cytological analysis and lineage. The species typically functions at a ploidy level of 2, indicating a diploid nature that governs its complex inheritance patterns and phenotypic expressions. These genetic parameters play a crucial role in the plant's ability to undergo various forms of variation and adaptation, influencing the biosynthesis of its secondary metabolites and its overall reproductive stability.

Chromosome number :
10, 20
Ploidy :
2

Life history

The life history of Ricinus communis is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, although its behavior can vary depending on environmental conditions and climatic zones. As a nanophanerophyte, its structural growth form maintains its reproductive buds close to the ground or on short woody stems, allowing it to persist through varying seasonal shifts. Furthermore, the plant exhibits an evergreen deciduousness, maintaining its foliage and physiological activity throughout much of its life cycle, provided the environmental temperature remains conducive to growth.

Deciduousness :
evergreen
Life form :
nanophanerophyte
Lifecycle :
perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Ricinus communis is characterized by its diverse growth forms, functioning variously as a shrub or a large herb. This plant exhibits a woody structure and is classified as a terrestrial species, meaning it is neither aquatic nor an epiphyte. As an independent organism, it does not function as a parasite. The plant demonstrates significant variability in stature, with heights ranging from a minimum of 0.6 m to a maximum of 12 m, maintaining a mean height of approximately 3.83 m. In terms of structural development, the shoot orientation is primarily ascending, and although it is a self-supporting species rather than a liana or vine, it maintains a robust, upright presence.

Aquatic :
terrestrial
Climber :
self-supporting
Epiphyte :
terrestrial
Growth form :
shrub
Growth form :
herb
Parasite :
independent
Plant height max:
12 m
Plant height mean:
3.83333333333333 m
Plant height min:
0.6 m
Shoot orientation :
ascending
Woodiness :
woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ricinus communis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. The plant exhibits a non-succulent morphology and is strictly non-carnivorous, relying on standard soil-based nutrient uptake rather than specialized trapping mechanisms. Notably, it is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it depends on available soil nitrates and ammonium for its nitrogen requirements. The foliage displays significant morphological variability; the leaves are elliptic in form, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 10 cm to a maximum of 60 cm. In terms of lateral expansion, leaf width varies substantially, with a minimum measurement of 1 cm, a maximum of 3.5 cm, and a mean width of approximately 30 cm, reflecting a highly diverse leaf architecture within the species.

Carnivory :
non-carnivorous
Leaf form :
elliptic
Leaf length max:
60 cm
Leaf length min:
10 cm
Leaf width max:
3.5 cm
Leaf width mean:
30 cm
Leaf width min:
1 cm
Nitrogen fixer :
no
Photosynthetic pathway :
C3
Succulence :
no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ricinus communis is characterized by a sexual process that is monoecious in nature, with asexual reproduction being entirely absent. The flowering period is quite extensive, typically beginning in January and concluding in August, though it can be variable. The inflorescence is relatively small, ranging from a minimum length of 0.15 m to a maximum of 0.3 m. The flowers themselves are small, with dimensions ranging from 0.4 to 1.2 cm in length and 0.3 to 0.5 cm in width. Pollination involves both abiotic and biotic mechanisms, specifically utilizing wind and insects. Once fertilized, the plant produces dry, dehiscence-type fruits categorized as capsules. These capsules vary in size, with lengths ranging from 1 cm to a maximum of 2.5 cm (averaging 2 cm) and widths between 1.8 cm and 2 cm. The dispersal syndrome is identified as hydrochorous, meaning seeds are dispersed by water. The resulting seeds are highly productive, with counts exceeding 1000 seeds per fruit. Individual seeds possess a mean mass of approximately 0.322 g (ranging from 0.12 g to 0.73 g), a mean length of 15 mm (with a range of 7 to 12 mm), and a consistent mean volume of 360 mm³. Notably, self-fertilization is absent in this species.

Dehiscence :
dehiscent
Dispersal syndrome :
hydrochorous
Flower length max:
1.2 cm
Flower length min:
0.4 cm
Flower width max:
0.5 cm
Flower width min:
0.3 cm
Flowering time :
Jan
Flowering time :
Aug
Fruit dryness :
dry
Fruit length max:
2.5 cm
Fruit length mean:
2 cm
Fruit length min:
1 cm
Fruit type :
capsule
Fruit width max:
2 cm
Fruit width min:
1.8 cm
Inflorescence length max:
0.3 m
Inflorescence length min:
0.15 m
Pollination syndrome :
insect
Pollination syndrome :
wind
Pollination syndrome :
abiotic
Reproduction asexual :
absent
Reproduction sexual :
monoecious
Seed length max:
12 mm
Seed length mean:
15 mm
Seed length min:
7 mm
Seed mass max:
0.73 g
Seed mass mean:
0.322156579 g
Seed mass min:
0.12 g
Seed volume max:
360 mm³
Seeds_per_fruit :
>1000
Self fertilization :
absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Ricinus communis has 5 reported plant parts identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, seed, root, fruit, stem.

Plant parts reported in Ricinus communis
Plant part Supporting sources Consensus
Leaf 12 supporting sources ★★★★★
Seed 8 supporting sources ★★★★☆
Root 4 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Fruit 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Stem 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆

Leaf

  1. Heliyon
  2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
  3. Malaria journal
  4. Cureus
  5. Journal of parasitology research
View 7 additional sources
  1. Experimental parasitology
  2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  3. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)
  4. Pharmacognosy magazine
  5. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
  6. Chemistry Central journal
  7. Saudi medical journal

Seed

  1. Malaria journal
  2. Experimental parasitology
  3. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  4. Nigerian journal of physiological sciences : official publication of the Physiological Society of Nigeria
  5. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
View 3 additional sources
  1. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
  2. DTW. Deutsche tierarztliche Wochenschrift
  3. Chemistry Central journal

Root

  1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
  2. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
  3. Natural product research
  4. Chemistry Central journal

Fruit

  1. Chemistry Central journal

Stem

  1. Chemistry Central journal

Chemicals

Ricinus communis has 113 reported phytochemicals identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include RICININE, RICINOLEIC ACID, CASTOR OIL, Flavonoids, Gallic acid.

Chemicals reported in Ricinus communis
Chemical Supporting sources Consensus
RICININE 5 supporting sources ★★★☆☆
RICINOLEIC ACID 5 supporting sources ★★★☆☆
CASTOR OIL 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Flavonoids 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Gallic acid 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
RUTIN 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Tannins 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
p-coumaric acid 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Ash 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
CD 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆

RICININE

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Cureus
  3. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  4. Scientific reports
  5. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences

RICINOLEIC ACID

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Clinical & experimental optometry
  3. Journal of biotechnology
  4. Mini reviews in medicinal chemistry
  5. Scientific reports

CASTOR OIL

  1. Current drug discovery technologies
  2. Natural product research
  3. Tropical biomedicine

Flavonoids

  1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  2. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine
  3. Archives of dermatological research

Gallic acid

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Cureus
  3. Scientific reports

RUTIN

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
  3. Scientific reports

Tannins

  1. Journal of parasitology research
  2. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine
  3. Archives of dermatological research

p-coumaric acid

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Natural product research
  3. Scientific reports

Ash

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

CD

  1. Food additives & contaminants. Part B, Surveillance
  2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Activities

Ricinus communis has 457 reported activities identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic, Analgesic.

Activities reported in Ricinus communis
Activity Supporting sources Consensus
Antioxidant 9 supporting sources ★★★★☆
Antibacterial 6 supporting sources ★★★☆☆
Antimicrobial 6 supporting sources ★★★☆☆
Cytotoxic 5 supporting sources ★★★☆☆
Analgesic 4 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Hepatoprotective 4 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Antidiabetic 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Antifungal 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Antiviral 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Laxative 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆

Antioxidant

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Heliyon
  3. Cureus
  4. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  5. Clinical & experimental optometry
View 4 additional sources
  1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  2. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)
  3. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences
  4. Chemistry Central journal

Antibacterial

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Cureus
  3. Journal of natural products
  4. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences
  5. Veterinary medicine and science
View 1 additional sources
  1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Antimicrobial

  1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  3. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)
  4. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences
  5. Chemistry Central journal
View 1 additional sources
  1. Veterinary medicine and science

Cytotoxic

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Journal of natural products
  3. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)
  4. Chemistry Central journal
  5. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Analgesic

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Clinical & experimental optometry
  3. Natural product research
  4. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences

Hepatoprotective

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
  3. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  4. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antidiabetic

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antifungal

  1. Journal of natural products
  2. Archives of dermatological research
  3. Veterinary medicine and science

Antiviral

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  3. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences

Laxative

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. African journal of reproductive health
  3. DTW. Deutsche tierarztliche Wochenschrift

Conditions

Ricinus communis has 55 reported investigations on conditions identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include headache, constipation, rheumatism, backache, breast cancer.

Conditions investigated for Ricinus communis
Condition Supporting sources Consensus
Headache 4 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Constipation 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Rheumatism 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
Backache 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Breast cancer 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Contraception 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Infertility 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Inflammation 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Laxative 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Pain 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆

Headache

  1. Frontiers in pharmacology
  2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  4. Pharmacognosy magazine

Constipation

  1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  3. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Rheumatism

  1. Frontiers in pharmacology
  2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  3. Pharmacognosy magazine

Backache

  1. Frontiers in pharmacology
  2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Breast cancer

  1. Scientific reports
  2. Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)

Contraception

  1. African journal of reproductive health
  2. Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)

Infertility

  1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
  2. Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)

Inflammation

  1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  2. Natural product research

Laxative

  1. African journal of reproductive health
  2. DTW. Deutsche tierarztliche Wochenschrift

Pain

  1. Frontiers in pharmacology
  2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Ricinus communis has 27 reported preparations identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Castor oil, extracts, methanol extracts, methanolic extracts, oil.

Preparations reported for Ricinus communis
Preparation Supporting sources Consensus
Castor oil 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Extracts 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Methanol extracts 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Methanolic extracts 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Oil 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Seed 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Seeds 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
50% ethanolic extract of roots 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Crude methanolic 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
Me from leaf and seed 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆

Castor oil

  1. Clinical & experimental optometry
  2. Natural product research

Extracts

  1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  2. Pharmacognosy magazine

Methanol extracts

  1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  2. Scientific reports

Methanolic extracts

  1. Heliyon
  2. Chemistry Central journal

Oil

  1. Frontiers in pharmacology
  2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Seed

  1. Experimental parasitology
  2. DTW. Deutsche tierarztliche Wochenschrift

Seeds

  1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  2. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)

50% ethanolic extract of roots

  1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Crude methanolic

  1. Natural product research

Me from leaf and seed

  1. Malaria journal