Trees & Plants

Castor oil plant

Aamanaka

Ricinus communis L.

Common in disturbed forest areas and in homesteads Seeds are the source of castor oil. The roots are useful in gastropathy, constipation, inflammations, fever, strangury, bronchitis, skin diseases, colic and lumbago. The leaves are useful in burns, nyctalopia, rheumatoid arthriti

Details

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uses: Seeds are the source of castor oil. The roots are useful in gastropathy, constipation, inflammations, fever, strangury, bronchitis, skin diseases, colic and lumbago. The leaves are useful in burns, nyctalopia, rheumatoid arthritis and urodynia. Th reat & damage: A fast-growing shrub which can form dense thickets and shade out the native flora which affect the biodiversity of the invaded areas. Management: Burning is adopted to control large thickets. However, the plant can re-colonize in newly burnt areas quicker than native species. Seedlings and young plants can be removed by hand pulling whereas larger plants may require cut-stump treatment with herbicides.
family: Euphorbiaceae
synonym: Cataputia major Ludw., Croton spinosus L.
description: Monoecious, branched glaucous shrubs. Leaves alternate, palmately 6-8 × × lobed, peltate, to 20 24 cm; lobes 9-15 3-6 cm, lanceolate, margin coarsely serrate, apex acuminate; petiole to 18 cm long. Flowers in terminal paniculate racemes, pale yellow; Th male flowers below, female ones above. Male flowers: perianth cupular, 3-5-lobed, ca. 4 mm long, lanceolate; stamens many, filaments connate, repeatedly branched. Female flowers: perialth of 5 subequal tepals, ca. 5 mm long, lanceolate. Ovary globose, 3-locular, echinate; ovule 1-per locule; styles papillose. Capsule 1.6-2 cm across, 3-lobed, prickly; seeds oblong, marbled, carunculate.
native range: Tropical Africa
distribution: Cultivated throughout the tropics
english names: Castor oil plant · Castorbean · Palma christi
flowering fruiting: May – June
occurrence maldives: Common in disturbed forest areas and in homesteads