Botany
· A coarse, erect, branched, smooth, somewhat woody bush, 1 to 4 m high. Younger parts glaucous and vegetative parts and inflorescence green or purplish.
· Leaves: smooth, alternate, palmately-divided, and 20 to 60 cm in width, the lobes oblong and toothed.
· Flowers: in racemes which are stout and erect. Male flowers about 1 cm in diameter. Calyx thin, splitting into 3 to 5 segments. Stamens very numerous, filaments variously connate in branching clusters. Female flowers: calyx spathe-like, caducous. Ovary 3-celled.
· Fruits: capsules, ovoid, 1 to 1.5 cm long, green or purplish and covered with soft spinelike processes.

Distribution
In open waste places near settled areas.

Parts utilized
· Roots, leaves, seeds.
· The leaves and seeds, externally; the oil, both internal and external.
· Collected year-round, but seeds are best collected from May to August.

Properties
Roots plain-tasting, neutral-natured; leaves and stems sweet-pungent tasting, neutral natured, slightly toxic.
Seeds are exceedingly pungent in taste, warming-natured,
Soothes and regulates the gastrointestinal tract.
Antidote, antiphlogistic, antirheumatic.

Constituents
Fixed oil, 49-85%; ricin; ricinin; ricinus lipase.

Folkloric uses
· Rheumatic arthritis, paralysis; epilepsy; distention of the uterus, prolapsus ani: drink dried root decoction or poultice Bai-hui pt (GV-20) with pounded seed or leaf material.
· Difficult partus, non-lowering of the fetus (during delivery): poultice Yungchuan Pt (K-1 pt) with pounded fresh leaves.
· Lymph node TB; facial paralysis: poultice with pounded seeds (seed coat removed). If the paralytic side is on the left side of the face, apply poultice on the left.
· Wound caused by piercing with pointed objects (nails, bamboo slats, bullet wound): use pounded fresh seed and apply as poultice.
· Milk stimulation: Pound leaves and apply over breast as poultice.
· Skin ulcers: Boil pounded leaves and use as wash.
· Bark of castor plant also sued as dressing for ulcers and sores.
· Seed oil is laxative and vermicide; also used as ear drops to hardened cerumen. Also used for warts.
· Milk stimulation: Pound leaves and apply over breast as poultice.
· Hemorrhoids: Roast seed, pound, and apply to affected area.
· Dosage: dried roots 15 to 30 gms in decoction.

Note: No part of the plant, except for the oil, is for internal use. The seeds contain Ricinin (C8H8O2N2) and Ricin which has blood coagulating property and may cause poisoning if taken orally. Three seeds is enough to kill a child. Boiling the seeds for 2 hours or more removes the toxic principle.

Availability
Wild-crafted.