Common name: Castor Oil Plant
Ricinus communis L. APNI* 
Description: Tall shrub, herbaceous or stem woody and tree-like.
Leaves peltate; lamina 10–40 cm long, palmately 7–9-lobed, margins toothed; petiole c. twice as long as lamina; stipules absent.
Panicles erect to c. 15 cm long; pedicels to 10 mm long. Perianth segments ovate, 6–8 mm long.
Capsule ovoid, 3-lobed, c. 15 mm diam., spiny; seeds smooth, mottled grey and white.
Flowering: Flowers and fruits mainly summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Often a weed 1-4 m high, widespread in waste places near habitations, sometimes along creek beds. Seeds toxic to stock and humans if eaten.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SFWP, *NFWP, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Qld *W.A. *S.A. *N.T.
Text by T. A. James & G. J. Harden
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 (1990)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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