Castor-oil Plant

Conservation status:

Introduced

Description:

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Jan–May. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In the Gulf generally it is widely planted in shelterbelts, but also escapes into areas around gardens and farms. Uses: It is well known that the oil is extracted for medicinal uses, particularly as a laxative, and that the seeds contain a deadly poison, the alkaloid ‘ricinine’. The oil is also used in the chemical industry and as a lubricant. Ghazanfar also gives various other uses, including the treatment of bad breath, blisters, ulcers, toothache, inflamed eyes and rheumatic pain.