Ricinus communis

TaxID: 3988

Basic Information

Scientific Name *

Ricinus communis

Common Name

Castor, Castor Bean, castor bean

Introduction

Ricinus communis, the castor bean or castor oil plant, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus, Ricinus, and subtribe, Ricininae. Its seed is the castor bean, which despite the term is not a bean (as it is not the seed of a member of the family Fabaceae). Castor is indigenous to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, East 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 wide variety of uses. The seeds contain 40 C60% oil that is rich in triglycerides, mainly ricinolein. The seed also contains ricin, a highly potent water-soluble toxin.

from Wikipedia

Taxonomic Information

Domain/Kingdom

Eukaryota

Phylum

Streptophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Malpighiales

Family

Euphorbiaceae

Genus

Ricinus

Species

communis

Subspecies

Unclassified

Photos (5 photos)

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Morphological Features

No morphological description available.

Host Plants (0 host plants)

Data sources: EPPO Global Database and relevant literature.

No host plants available.

Quarantine Status (3 records)

Data sources: IPPC website and national quarantine websites; verified by human review.

Country	Status	Year Added
Papua New Guinea	Absent	—
Portugal	Regulated Invasive Alien Plant	1999
French Polynesia	Present	—

Distribution (185 countries)

Data Sources: EPPO Global Database and GBIF.

185

Present

0

Absent

0

Unknown/Other

Country	Status	State
Antigua and Barbuda	Present	—
Aruba	Present	—
Afghanistan	Present	—
Angola	Present	—
Anguilla	Present	—
Albania	Present	—
Algeria	Present	—
United Arab Emirates	Present	—
Argentina	Present	—
Armenia	Present	—

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Distribution Map (Latitude and longitude coordinates sourced from GBIF.)

Download CSV

Genomes (2 records)

Data source: NCBI.

Assembly Accession	Assembly Level	Genome Size(Mb)	Contig N50(Kb)	Scaffold N50(Kb)	BUSCO%	Downloads
GCF_019578655.1	Chromosome	315	7311	31927	0.995270848%	FASTA GFF3
Assembly Name ASM1957865v1
GCF_000151685.1	Scaffold	350	21	496	0.980223536%	FASTA GFF3
Assembly Name JCVI_RCG_1.1

Transcriptomes (3 records)

Data source: NCBI.

Run ID	Tissue	Developmental Stage	Sex	Read Count	Location	Actions
DRR826703	leaf	tillering stage	-	21450792	missing: data agreement established pre-2023	Download NCBI
BioProject PRJDB38552 Experiment ID DRX805041 Study ID DRP015730 Category weed Title Tetrap-1 (CRX1533933; CRA023330) Strain ZB306 Sample Attributes {'tissue': 'leaf', 'cultivar': 'ZB306', 'dev_stage': 'tillering stage', 'sample_name': 'SAMC4780389_Tetraploid1', 'geo_loc_name': 'missing: data agreement established pre-2023', 'biosamplemodel': 'Plant', 'ngdc_sample_id': 'SAMC4780389', 'collection_date': 'missing: data agreement established pre-2023', 'ngdc_project_id': 'PRJCA036618', 'ngdc_release_date': '2025-08-11', 'biomaterial_provider': 'Southwest Forestry University'}
DRR826704	leaf	tillering stage	-	21233815	missing: data agreement established pre-2023	Download NCBI
BioProject PRJDB38552 Experiment ID DRX805042 Study ID DRP015730 Category weed Title Tetrap-2 (CRX1533934; CRA023330) Strain ZB306 Sample Attributes {'tissue': 'leaf', 'cultivar': 'ZB306', 'dev_stage': 'tillering stage', 'sample_name': 'SAMC4780390_Tetraploid2', 'geo_loc_name': 'missing: data agreement established pre-2023', 'biosamplemodel': 'Plant', 'ngdc_sample_id': 'SAMC4780390', 'collection_date': 'missing: data agreement established pre-2023', 'ngdc_project_id': 'PRJCA036618', 'ngdc_release_date': '2025-08-11', 'biomaterial_provider': 'Southwest Forestry University'}
DRR826705	leaf	tillering stage	-	22836680	missing: data agreement established pre-2023	Download NCBI
BioProject PRJDB38552 Experiment ID DRX805043 Study ID DRP015730 Category weed Title Tetrap-3 (CRX1533935; CRA023330) Strain ZB306 Sample Attributes {'tissue': 'leaf', 'cultivar': 'ZB306', 'dev_stage': 'tillering stage', 'sample_name': 'SAMC4780391_Tetraploid3', 'geo_loc_name': 'missing: data agreement established pre-2023', 'biosamplemodel': 'Plant', 'ngdc_sample_id': 'SAMC4780391', 'collection_date': 'missing: data agreement established pre-2023', 'ngdc_project_id': 'PRJCA036618', 'ngdc_release_date': '2025-08-11', 'biomaterial_provider': 'Southwest Forestry University'}

DNA Barcodes (84 records)

View all

Data source: BOLD.

Process ID	BIN	Marker	Length	Country	Date	Lat/Lon	Sequence
WREP087-17	-	rbcL	582	United States	2012-06-28	29.555183, -97.96622	GTATGTCACCACAAACAGAGACTAAAGCAAGTGTTGGGTTCAAGGCTGGTGTTAAAGATTATAAATTGACTTATTATACTCCTGAATATGAAACCAAAGATACTGATATCTTGGCAGCATTCCGAGTAACTCCTCAACCTGGAGTTCCGCCTGAGGAAGCAGGAGCTGCAGTAGCTGCTGAATCTTCTACTGGTACATGGACAACTGTGTGGACCGATGGGCTTACCAGTCTTGATCGTTATAAAGGACGATGCTACCACATTGAGCCCGTTGCCGGAGAAGAAAATCAATTTATTGCTTATGTAGCTTACCCCTTAGACCTTTTTGAAGAAGGTTCTGTTACTAACATGTTTACTTCCATTGTGGGTAATGTATTTGGGTTCAAAGCCCTACGCGCCCTACGTCTGGAGGATTTGCGAATCCCTCCTGCTTATACAAAAACTTTCCAAGGGCCGCCTCATGGCATCCAAGTTGAGAGAGATAAATTGAACAAGTATGGTCGCCCTCTATTGGGTTGTACTATTAAACCTAAATTGGGGCTATCCGCTAAGAATTACGGTAGAGCAGTTTATGAATGTCTAC
UHURU1669-17	-	trnL-F	505	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	--------------------------------CTACTAAGTGATAACTTTCAAATTCAGAGAAACCCTGGAATTAAAAATGGGCAATCCTGAGCCAAATCCTGTTTTTCGAAAACAAACAAAGGTTCATAAAGACAG-------AATAAAAAAAAAAGGATAGGTGCAGAGACTCAATGGAAGCTGTTCTA------ACAAACGGAGTTGACTGCGTTG-CATTAGTAAAGTAAAGAAATCCTTCCATCAAAATTCCAGATTCCAGAAAGGAT----AAAGTAAAGGATAACCATATA-------------------------------------TACATACGGATACGTACTGAAATAAT----------ATCTCAGATGATTAAT---AGG--------------GGGCCGAATCCGTA-----------------TTTTT----TATCTTTA--------------------------------------------------------------TATGA----------AAAAAAAAAAGAATTGTTTTGAT---------------------TTGAATTGATTCCAAGTTGAAGAAAGGATTGAATATTAATTGATCACATCATTCACTCCATAGTCTGATAG---------ATAACTGATTAATCGGACGAGAATAAAGATAGAGTCCCATTCTACATG------TCAATATCGACAACAAGGAAATTTATAGTAAGAGGAAA----------------------------
UHURU1669-17	-	trnH-psbA	647	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	ATAACTTCCCTCTAGACCTAGCTGCTGTCGAAGCTCCATCTACAAATGGATAAGACTTTGGTCTTAGTATGCGTGAGTTCTTGAAAATAAAA----TAAAAAAAGGAGCAATAGCCAATTTCTTGTTCTATCGAGAGGATTGG-TATTGCTCCTTT---TTT-------TAGTAAT----TATATTTTAGTAAT------ATAT---ATATGTTTATTT-TACATAAACATAAAAAAAACATATAAAAAAGTT-TATTTTCTTTTTTTATTTTCTTTAATCTTT---AAAATTAAAAAATAAAAG----------------AATCTTTTAGAAAAAAAAATC---TTTT-----TATGGGTCG-----------CTTTC-------TGA--A--------GATTATATAT-----ATAGT---------------T---------TATGTACTTATTTT------A------AA---TTGAGTATAT-------G-------------TTCTTCTCAATCTTTTTTTTTTA--TGAAGTTCTTTT-------T-----------TTTTCGATTGAAAAT--A--------------AAAGATATA--AAAGATAAAGCTTTTATTTTTATGTCTTTTTAT----TTTTGTAG----TTTTATTTTATTCTTGTATTTGTATCTTATAAAATCTTTTAAGAGAGATAAAATTGAAAT----------T-------TAAATGCTAGAAATTGAAACCCTTCTAC-------TTCTAATATTTA-----ATTACTTCTAATATTTAATCGAATATTTATTTTTA-----AATAGAGTTATAGGATTAGGGGCGAATGTAGCCAAGTGGATCAAGGCAGT------------------------------------------------------
UHURU1669-17	-	matK	766	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	CCCTCTTCTTTGCATTTATTACGACTCTTTCTTCATGAGTATTGGAATTGGAACAGTTTTATTATTCCAAAGAAATCAATTTCTATTTTTACAAAAAGTAATCCAAGATTTTTCGTGTTCCTATATAATTCTCATGTATATGAATATGAATCCCTCTTCTTTTTTCTCCGTAACCAATCCTTTCATTTACGATCAACATTTTCTCGAGTACTTCTTGAACGAATTTTTTTCTATGGAAAAATAGAACATTTTGCGGAAGTCTTTGCTAATGATTTTCAGGCCATCCTATGGTTGTTCAAGGACCCTTTCATGCATTATGTTAGATATCAAGGAAAATCTGTTTTGGCTTCAAAAGATGGGCCTCTTCTGATGAAAAAATGGAAATATTACCTTGTCCATTTATGTCAATGTCATTTTTATGTGTGGTTTCAACCGGAAAAGATCTATATAAATTCATTATCTAAGCATTCTCTCAACTTTTTGGGCTATCTTTCAAATGTACAATTTAATCCTTCGTTGGTACGGAGTCAAATGATAGAAAATTCATTTATAATAGATAAAGATAATACTATGAAGAAACTCGATACAATAGTTCCAATTATTCCTTTAATTAGATCATTGGCAAAAATGAAATTTTGTAACGCAGCAGGACATCCCATTAGTAAACCGACCTGGGCGGATTCGGCAGATTCTGAGATTATCGACCGATTTGTGCGTATATACAGAAATCTTTCTCATTATTATAGCGGATCCTCAAAAAAAACGA
UHURU1668-17	-	trnL-F	526	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	---------------------------------TACTAAGTGATAACTTTCAAATTCAGAGAAACCCTGGAATTAAAAATGGGCAATCCTGAGCCAAATCCTGTTTTTCGAAAACAAACAAAGGTTCATAAAGACAG-------AATAAAAAAAAAAGGATAGGTGCAGAGACTCAATGGAAGCTGTTCTA------ACAAACGGAGTTGACTGCGTTG-CATTAGTAAAGTAAAGAAATCCTTCCATCAAAATTCCAGATTCCAGAAAGGAT----AAAGTAAAGGATAACCATATA-------------------------------------TACATACGGATACGTACTGAAATAAT----------ATCTCARATGATTAAT---AGG--------------GGGCCGAATCCGTA-----------------TTTTT----TATCTTTA--------------------------------------------------------------TATGA----------AAAAAAAAAAGAATTGTTTTGAT---------------------TTGAATTGATTCCAAGTTGAAGAAAGGATTGAATATTAATTGATCACATCATTCACTCCATAGTCTGATAG---------ATAACTGATTAATCGGACGAGAATAAAGATAGAGTCCCATTCTACATG------TCAATATCGACAACAAGGAAATTTATAGTAAGAGGAAAATCCGNCAACTTTA-AAAATCGNGNGG-
UHURU1668-17	-	trnH-psbA	644	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	ATAACTTCCCTCTAGACCTAGCTGCTGTTGAAGCTCCATCTACAAATGGATAAGACTTTGGTCTTAGTATGCGTGAGTTCTTGAAAATAAAA----TAAAAAAAGGRGCAATAGCCAATTTCTTGTTCTATCGAGAGGATTGG-TATTGCTCCTTT---TTT-------TAGTAAT----TATATTTTAGTAAT------ATAT---ATATGTTTATTT-TACATAAACATAAAAAAAACATATAAAAAAGTT-TATTTTCTTTTTTTATTTTCTTTAATCTTT---AAAATTAAAAAATAAAAG----------------AATCTTTTAGAAAAAAAAATC---TTTT-----TATGGGTCG-----------CTTTC-------TGA--A--------GATTATATAT-----ATAGT---------------T---------TATGTACTTATTTT------A------AA---TTGAGTATAT-------G-------------TTCTTCTCAATCTTTTTTTTTTA--TGAAGTTCTTTT-------T-----------TTTTCGATTGAAAAT--A--------------AAAGATATA--AAAGATAAAGCTTTTATTTTTATGTCTTTTTAT----TTTTGTAG----TTTTATTTTATTCTTGTATTTGTATCTTAWAAAATCTTTTAAGAGAGATAAAATTGAAAT----------T-------TAAATGCTARAAATTGAAACCCTTCTAC-------TTCTAATATTTA-----ATTACTTCTAATATTTAATCGAATATTTATTTTTA-----AATAGAGTTATAGGATTAGGGGCGGATGTAGCCAAGTGGATCAAGGCAGG------------------------------------------------------
UHURU1668-17	-	matK	766	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	CCCTCTTCTTTGCATTTATTACGACTCTTTCTTCATGAGTATTGGAATTGGAACAGTTTTATTATTCCAAAGAAATCAATTTCTATTTTTACAAAAAGTAATCCAAGATTTTTCGTGTTCCTATATAATTCTCATGTATATGAATATGAATCCCTCTTCTTTTTTCTCCGTAACCAATCCTTTCATTTACGATCAACATTTTCTCGAGTACTTCTTGAACGAATTTTTTTCTATGGAAAAATAGAACATTTTGCGGAAGTCTTTGCTAATGATTTTCAGGCCATCCTATGGTTGTTCAAGGACCCTTTCATGCATTATGTTAGATATCAAGGAAAATCTGTTTTGGCTTCAAAAGATGGGCCTCTTCTGATGAAAAAATGGAAATATTACCTTGTCCATTTATGTCAATGTCATTTTTATGTGTGGTTTCAACCGGAAAAGATCTATATAAATTCATTATCTAAGCATTCTCTCAACTTTTTGGGCTATCTTTCAAATGTACAATTTAATCCTTCGTTGGTACGGAGTCAAATGATAGAAAATTCATTTATAATAGATAAAGATAATACTATGAAGAAACTCGATACAATAGTTCCAATTATTCCTTTAATTAGATCATTGGCAAAAATGAAATTTTGTAACGCAGCAGGACATCCCATTAGTAAACCGACCTGGGCGGATTCGGCAGATTCTGAGATTATCGACCGATTTGTGCGTATATACAGAAATCTTTCTCATTATTATAGCGGATCCTCAAAAAAAACGA
UHURU1667-17	-	trnL-F	534	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	--------------------------TGGAACCTACTAAGTGATAACTTTCAAATTCAGAGAAACCCTGGAATTAAAAATGGGCAATCCTGAGCCAAATCCTGTTTTTCGAAAACAAACAAAGGTTCATAAAGACAG-------AATAAAAAAAAAAGGATAGGTGCAGAGACTCAATGGAAGCTGTTCTA------ACAAACGGAGTTGACTGCGTTG-CATTAGTAAAGTAAAGAAATCCTTCCATCAAAATTCCAGATTCCAGAAAGGAT----AAAGTAAAGGATAACCATATA-------------------------------------TACATACGGATACGTACTGAAATAAT----------ATCTCARATGATTAAT---AGG--------------GGGCCGAATCCGTA-----------------TTTTT----TATCTTTA--------------------------------------------------------------TATGA----------AAAAAAAAAAGAATTGTTTTGAT---------------------TTGAATTGATTCCAAGTTGAAGAAAGGATTGAATATTAATTGATCACATCATTCACTCCATAGTCTGATAG---------ATAACTGATTAATCGGACGAGAATAAAGATAGAGTCCCATTCTACATG------TCAATATCGACAACAAGGAAATTTATAGTAAGAGGAAAATCCGTCAANTTTA-AAAATCGNGAGG-
UHURU1667-17	-	trnH-psbA	646	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	ATAACTTCCCTCTAGACCTAGCTGCTGTTGAAGCTCCATCNACAAATGGATAAGACTTTGGTCTTAGTATGCGTGAGTTCTTGAAAATAAAA----TAAAAAAAGGAGCAATAGCCAATTTCTTGTTCTATCGAGAGGATTGG-TATTGCTCCTTT---TTT-------TAGTAAT----TATATTTTAGTAAT------ATAT---ATATGTTTATTT-TACATAAACATAAAAAAAACATATAAAAAAGTT-TATTTTCTTTTTTTATTTTCTTTAATCTTT---AAAATTAAAAAATAAAAG----------------AATCTTTTAGAAAAAAAAATC---TTTT-----TATGGGTCG-----------CTTTC-------TGA--A--------GATTATATAT-----ATAG----------------T--------TTATGTACTTATTTT------A------AA---TTGAGTATAT-------G-------------TTCTTCTCAATCTTTTTTTTTTA--TGAAGTTCTTTT-------T-----------TTTTCGATTGAAAAT--A--------------AAAGATATA--AAAGATAAAGCTTTTATTTTTATGTCTTTTTAT----TTTTGTAG----TTTTATTTTATTCTTGTATTTGTATCTTATAAAATCTTTTAAGAGAGATAAAATTGAAAT----------T-------TAAATGCTAGAAATTGAAACCCTTCTA-C------TTCTAATATTTA-----ATTACTTCTAATATTTAATCGAATATTTATTTTTA-----AATAGAGTTATAGGATTAGGGGCGGATGTAGCCAAGTGGATCAAGGCAGG------------------------------------------------------
UHURU1667-17	-	matK	766	Kenya	2015-10-15	-	CCCTCTTCTTTGCATTTATTACGACTCTTTCTTCATGAGTATTGGAATTGGAACAGTTTTATTATTCCAAAGAAATCAATTTCTATTTTTACAAAAAGTAATCCAAGATTTTTCGTGTTCCTATATAATTCTCATGTATATGAATATGAATCCCTCTTCTTTTTTCTCCGTAACCAATCCTTTCATTTACGATCAACATTTTCTCGAGTACTTCTTGAACGAATTTTTTTCTATGGAAAAATAGAACATTTTGCGGAAGTCTTTGCTAATGATTTTCAGGCCATCCTATGGTTGTTCAAGGACCCTTTCATGCATTATGTTAGATATCAAGGAAAATCTGTTTTGGCTTCAAAAGATGGGCCTCTTCTGATGAAAAAATGGAAATATTACCTTGTCCATTTATGTCAATGTCATTTTTATGTGTGGTTTCAACCGGAAAAGATCTATATAAATTCATTATCTAAGCATTCTCTCAACTTTTTGGGCTATCTTTCAAATGTACAATTTAATCCTTCGTTGGTACGGAGTCAAATGATAGAAAATTCATTTATAATAGATAAAGATAATACTATGAAGAAACTCGATACAATAGTTCCAATTATTCCTTTAATTAGATCATTGGCAAAAATGAAATTTTGTAACGCAGCAGGACATCCCATTAGTAAACCGACCTGGGCGGATTCGGCAGATTCTGAGATTATCGACCGATTTGTGCGTATATACAGAAATCTTTCTCATTATTATAGCGGATCCTCAAAAAAAACGA

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Ricinus communis

Basic Information

Taxonomic Information

Photos (5 photos)

Morphological Features

Host Plants (0 host plants)

Quarantine Status (3 records)

Distribution (185 countries)

Distribution Map (Latitude and longitude coordinates sourced from GBIF.)

Genomes (2 records)

Transcriptomes (3 records)

DNA Barcodes (84 records)

Literature

State Information