Ricinus communis

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malpighiales Family: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Ricinus

castor bean, castor oil plant, koli (Ni‘ihau via St. John)

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Plants usually 2–3(–5) m tall; monoecious shrubs or small trees, annual herbs in temperate regions, with watery sap.

Stems: Stems usually unbranched in lower part and branched above, the branches ascending with watery sap, internodes hollow.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades peltate, (10–)20–60 cm long, nearly as wide. Margins lobed, lobes serrate. Palmately 7–11-lobed, the lobes serrate. Long-petiolate. Stipules connate into a caducous sheath.

Flowers: Flowers in paniculate cymes, lower ones staminate, upper ones with both sexes or pistillate, subtended by papery bracts. Flowers unisexual or bisexual (perfect); plants monoecious. Calyx of staminate flowers completely connate in bud, splitting along the valves into 3–5 lobes at anthesis. Calyx of pistillate flower quickly deciduous. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens in staminate flowers up to ca. 1,000; filaments partly connate at base, ovary absent; pistillate flower Stamens absent. Ovary superior (pistillate flowers), 3-celled; ovules 1 per cell; styles connate in lower part, bifid. Staminate flower ovary absent.

Fruit: Capsules explosively dehiscent; splitting septicidally and then loculicidally; the surface covered with soft spines; subglobose; 10–18 mm in diameter. Seeds ellipsoid; mottled; 8–11 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 10; 20

Habitat: Low elevation; dry; disturbed habitats.

Elevation Range: 0–500 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

Synonyms (210)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Remaining seed material after being expressed of it's oil is used as a powdered fertilizer

  • The beans are sometimes used in lei, finger pricks from needle work have led to serious poisoning accidents

  • The oil from seeds are used in the manufacture of soap, lubricants, margarine, plastics, paints, and inks

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Naturalized
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Naturalized
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean
Birds
Other Animals

Pollinators

Notes

  • All parts of plant are poisonous, but especially the seed coats. Contains ricin which can cause severe bleeding lesions internally, if chewed. Can lead to death in children.
  • Powdered fertilizers produced from the remaining seed material contains a protein allergen that can cause a rash or asthma-like reactions
  • The seed coats contain ricin, an extremely toxic compound that can cause a wide range of symptoms, such as internal lesions and organ damage

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 1007 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:629 (Ni, K, O, Mo, L, M, Ka, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:278, 279 (KEY), 296 (DESCR); Starr & Starr 2018:4 (Mi)

Poisonous Plants of Paradise (Scott and Thomas) p.33-35

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Ricinus communis Lower Kalihi, roadside Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2536 Oahu BISH 1919-03-06
2 Ricinus communis East Maui, Hana District, Coastal pasture lands SE of Hamoa to Waioka, Makaalae, near old sugarmill site Preserved_Specimen Herb of three ft. Stem and petioles reddish; leaves dark green above, paler below with reddish-white midvein. With Nephrolepis, Phymatosorus and Sporobolus. Flynn, T.W. 2569 Maui BISH 1987-10-27
3 Ricinus communis Kau district. Along Halape beach, some distance west of the Halape shelter. Growing near the bottom of cliff in open location Preserved_Specimen Small tree. ca 4-5 m tall. Herat, T. 860 Hawaii BISH 1974-06-30
4 Ricinus communis Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Stem, branches, and petioles red. Flsa. and Fr. Coker, A.H. Oahu BISH 1962-03-04
5 Ricinus communis Along Quarry Rd Preserved_Specimen Smith, L.B. 165 Oahu BISH 1976-08-08
6 Ricinus communis Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 9099 Oahu BISH 1930-12-01
7 Ricinus communis Manoa Campus, U. of H. Quarry Preserved_Specimen A small, weedy treer growing among debris in quarry. Herbst, D.R. 605 Oahu BISH 1967-09-19
8 Ricinus communis Area between Lua Makika and Puu Moaula Preserved_Specimen Higashino, P.K. 8031 Kahoolawe BISH 1978-11-22
9 Ricinus communis Honolulu, Damon tract, in abandoned housing area, along a dry ditch Preserved_Specimen Pearsall, G.A. 319 Oahu BISH 1959-03-17
10 Ricinus communis East Maui, Haleakala National Park on the makai side of road above water catchment hair pin Preserved_Specimen Welton, P. 2451 Maui BISH 2019-12-10
11 Ricinus communis Kaiholena Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 40 Lanai BISH 1913-11-12
12 Ricinus communis Mahana Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 450 Lanai BISH 1929-08-13
13 Ricinus communis Kaiholena Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 214 Lanai BISH 1913-11-12
14 Ricinus communis East Maui, Hana Preserved_Specimen Handy, E.S. 3323 Maui BISH 1933-06-15
15 Ricinus communis PTBG, Lawai Valley. Occasional Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 2027 Kauai BISH 1971-07-27
16 Ricinus communis Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Coker, A.H. Oahu BISH 1962-03-03
17 Ricinus communis Ewa Beach. Navy field, near highway Preserved_Specimen Woolford, H.A. Oahu BISH 1956-01-01
18 Ricinus communis Manoa Valley: University of Hawaii Manoa Campus, St. John Courtyard Preserved_Specimen Bennett, T. Oahu BISH 1982-01-30
19 Ricinus communis Kalaupapa; peninsula, near lighthouse heiau dry Preserved_Specimen large herb or small tree Wysong, M.L. 763 Molokai BISH 2005-08-09
20 Ricinus communis Mauka of Kamehameha Hwy. Punamano near Kahuku. Koolauloa Distr Naturalized along roadways through agriculture fields & lowland Leucaena thickets. Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 3947 Oahu BISH 1988-12-27
21 Ricinus communis Kahoolawe Preserved_Specimen Stokes, J.F.G. Kahoolawe BISH 1913-03-10
22 Ricinus communis Koko Head Preserved_Specimen Octavio, A.M. Oahu BISH 1929-11-28
23 Ricinus communis unknown Preserved_Specimen Mann, H. BISH 1864-01-01
24 Ricinus communis UH Manoa Campus, lower campus road by trailers Sunny waste areas Preserved_Specimen Common Faccenda, K. 1836 Oahu BISH 2021-05-19
25 Ricinus communis Kawaewae, 1 mile west of In basalt rocks in open Preserved_Specimen 1 m. tall St.John, H. 23624 Niihau BISH 1949-03-31
26 Ricinus communis East Maui, Kailua gulch, edge of Kailua gulch about 1/4 mile from former Old Kailua Village Found in dry scrub w/Grevillea, Opuntia, and grasses. Preserved_Specimen Clump of shrubs to 10' . Ishikawa, S. 21 Maui BISH 1971-12-31
27 Ricinus communis Growing on west side of bay in waste area. Kaalualu Bay near South Point, Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Shrub 1-1.5 m high. Whistler, W.A. 82 Hawaii BISH 1972-04-06
28 Ricinus communis Nr. L.D.S. Church, Waialua 5 degree slope on silty loam soil. Preserved_Specimen Shrub to 10' high. Large lobed leaves, flowers in panicles, seed pods also Afualo, D. 54 Oahu BISH 1975-03-16
29 Ricinus communis Mauka of Kamehameha Hwy. Punamano near Kahuku. Koolauloa Distr Naturalized along roadways through agriculture fields & lowland Leucaena thickets. Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 3947 Oahu BISH 1988-12-27
30 Ricinus communis Hamakua Dist.; Pohakuloa Training Area, along Saddle Road Between the 30 & 45 mile markers & within 60' of road. Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. 19 Hawaii BISH 1990-12-13
31 Ricinus communis Kawainui Marsh. In a clearing between Quarry Rd. and marsh Preserved_Specimen Smith, L.B. 20 Oahu BISH 1976-01-04
32 Ricinus communis U. of H. campus Waste field mod. dry. Preserved_Specimen 2+/- m. ht. shrub. Hume, E.P. 57 Oahu BISH 1930-11-15
33 Ricinus communis Waikiki, Honolulu Dry coral plain. Preserved_Specimen Baker, R.J. 147 Oahu BISH 1932-07-15
34 Ricinus communis East Maui, Makawao District, Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, Ahihi Bay at the N end of the reserve. Frequent along path Pockets of vegetation near the seashore amongst a'a lava about 200 years old. Preserved_Specimen Abbott, I.A. 91.28 Maui BISH 1991-03-05
35 Ricinus communis U.H. Campus, parking lot zone 6 Preserved_Specimen 2 m tall. Full sun. Stems, petioles, and young leaf blades have a scarlet cast. Lau, J. 1139 Oahu BISH 1985-06-24
36 Ricinus communis Waianae Mts., central Lualualei, below Kanehoa, side of valley 9 Preserved_Specimen Flower, Fruit. Christophersen, E. 3710 Oahu BISH 1932-06-29
37 Ricinus communis Koolauloa, Malaekahana Preserved_Specimen A patch of several trees with very narrow leaf lobes but otherwise normal infl & fruit. Normal castor bean plants grow nearby. Hobdy, R.W. 4202 Oahu BISH 2005-04-16
38 Ricinus communis At the base of ridge trail starting from the old abandoned Mormon church and cemetery on the Kawa side, near old house Preserved_Specimen Small tree about 10 ft. tall. Herat, T. 193 Oahu BISH 1972-08-18