Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Ricinus communis

Tuitui Papa‘ā

Castor-bean Tree

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Castor-bean Tree, Castor-oil Tree, Palma Christi; German Rizinusbaum

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tuitui Papa‘ā (RR AT), Pākarāni / Pākarāna (MG), Tuitui (AK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Africa

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Poisonous to eat raw seed - very serious

Enlarged Image of 'Ricinus communis'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR 
MG
AT
MK
MT
AK
PL
TK
MN
+L
++
+L
-
-
-
-
-

Northern Group: -
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW
-
-
-
-
-
-

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Ricinus communis Linnaeus
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Euphorbiales; EUPHORBIACEAE

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: ACSm syas probably an Abo Intro to Fiji. The seeds are sometimes eaten for the purgative action of their caster oil, But this is a very dangerous practise as they contain a poison called ricin, which resembles snake venom. If the poison enters the bloodstream through a cut or sore in the mouth or intestines it can cause a loss of appetite for several days, followed by emesis, diarrhea, delirium, collapse and death. (Arnold 1968)

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.629 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.509 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.428 Tropica
p.2/499 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.295 R* Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.68 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.408g Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org. Copy citation to system clipboard
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