This plant is a species of perennial flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. Its seed is the castor bean, which, despite its name, is not a true bean. Castor is indigenous to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India, but is widespread throughout tropical regions (and widely grown elsewhere as an ornamental plant). Castor seed is the source of castor oil, which has a variety of uses. The seed also contains ricin, a water-soluble toxin, which is also present...
