Castor-Bean (Ricinus communis)
Castor-Bean Species Description
These plants are from foreign areas (those that occur outside of North America north of Mexico) that have been released intentionally or unintentionally. Plants that have been disseminated or escaped as a result of human activity, and become established somewhere within the United States, Canada or Greenland.
Allergenicity: Castor-Bean (Ricinus communis) is a mild allergen.
Pollination: Occurs in following seasons depending on latitude and elevation: all year long.
Angiosperm - Flowering Dicot: Plants in this group have two embryonic leaves (dicotyledons). Examples of dicotyledons are beans, buttercups, oaks, sunflowers, etc.
Tree: A large plant, not exactly defined, but typically over four meters in height, a single trunk which grows in girth with age and branches (which also grow in circumference with age).
Shrub: A woody plant smaller than a tree, and usually with several stems from the same root.
Forb: A broad-leaved herb other than a grass, especially one growing in a field, prairie, or meadow.
Weed: Any plant growing in cultivated ground to the injury of the crop or desired vegetation, or to the disfigurement of the place; an unsightly, useless, or injurious plant.
Annual: Plants in which the entire life cycle is completed within one growing season.
Perennial: Living for many years.
Wetland Plant: Plants growing in aquatic or wetland habitats. These include all known floating, submerged, and emergent taxa, plus those that are found in permanently or seasonally wet habitats.
Woody Stem: Non-herbaceous. Lignified.
Evergreen: Retaining leaves throughout the year including changing seasons.
Herbaceous Stem: Not woody, lacking lignified tissues.
Castor-Bean Species Usage
Pharmacological: Used in medicine or pharmacological research.
Dye: Used as a colored dye.
Honey/Bee Pollen: A plant used as a source of food for Honey Bees, and may be a flavor of honey such as clover or alfalfa.
Related Links
More Castor-Bean (Ricinus communis) imagesby Jessie M. Harris from BONAP
