Castor Seeds

Castor Seeds Ricinus communis, the castor oil plant â?? is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole species in themonotypic genus, Ricinus, and subtribe, Ricininae. The evolution of castor and its relation to other species are currently being studied using modern genetic tools. It reproduces with a mixed pollination system which favor selfing by geitonogamy but at the same time can be an out-crosser by anemophily or entomophily. Its seed is the castor bean, which, despite its name, is not a true bean. Castor is indigenous to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India, but is well-known throughout tropical regions (and widely grown elsewhere as an ornamental plant). Castor seed is the source of castor oil, which has a wide variety of uses. The seeds contain between 40% and 60% oil that is rich intriglycerides, mainly ricinolein. The seed also contains ricin, a water-soluble toxin, which is also present in lower concentrations throughout the plant. Ricin is one of the most poisonous naturally occuring substances known in castor seeds. The seeds from the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis, are poisonous to people, animals and insects. Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing the seeds of theCastor plant (Ricinus communis). The common name â??castor oilâ??, from which the plant gets its name, probably comes from its use as a replacement for castoreum, a perfume base made from the dried perineal glands of the beaver (castor in Latin). Though castor plant or castor oil is not a food, yet it is one of the most commonly used oils allover the world as a safe purgative and drug for reducing irritation of the skin and alleviating swelling and pain. The castor seed plant contains alkoloid ricinine and toxalbumine ricin. They yield a fixed oil which is used mainly for medicinal purposes.