Wed
Sep
17
Ricin Peas
Ok a bad pun, but this is a close-up of a Ricinus Communis (Caster Oil) plant seed (or the pea). A lovely plant to look at but although the bean produces Castor Oil, used everywhere in medicine and cosmetics, the seed coat and other parts of the plant are poisonous and even brushing against it brings me out in a rash. Indeed the seed coat contains Ricin, which as I remember got somebody arrested for suspected terrorism here in the UK, just as I had about 20 of the seed heads laying on window sills drying out.
