ricin olein (risino lein)

[ ricinolic (ris-i-nol'ik), a. [ Ricinula (ri-sin'ū-lä), n. [NL. (Lamarck, 1812), so called from a supposed resemblance to the castor-oil bean; dim. of L. ricinus, the castor-oil plant: see Ricinus1.] In conch., a genus of gastropods of the family Muri cidæ, inhabiting the Indian and Pacific oceans. Also called Pentadactyl us and Sistrum. Ricinula a rach no ides. Ricinus1 (ris'i-nus), n. [NL. (Tournefort, 1700), L. cici ), the castor-oil plant.] A genus of apetalous plants of the order Euphorbiacea, tribe Crotoneæ, and subtribe Acalypheæ. It is characterized by monœcio us flowers, the calyx in the staminate flowers closed in the bud, in the pistillate sheath-like and cleft and very caducous; by very numerous (sometimes 1,000) stamens, with their crowded filaments repeatedly branched, each branch bearing two separate and roundish anther-cells; and by a three-celled ovary with two-cleft plumose styles, ripening into a capsule with three two valved cells, each containing one smooth ovoid hard-crusted seed with fleshy albumen and two broad and flat cotyle dons. The only species, R. communis, the well-known castor-oil plant, is a native probably of Africa, often naturalized in warm climates, and po ibly indigenous in America and Asia. It is a tall annual herb, smooth and often glau The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia Ricinus cous, becoming arborescent in warm regions, and bearing large alternate leaves palmately lobed and peltate. The conspicuous terminal inflorescence is composed of somewhat panicled racemes, the upper part of each formed of crowded staminate flowers, the lower part of pistillate flowers, each short-pedicel led. The plant is very variable in its capsules, which are either smooth or prickly, and in the seeds, which are often mottled with gray and brown markings, and append aged with a large whitish caruncle. The castor-oil plant is not only of medicinal value, as the source of a mild and speedy cathartic, but is one of the most imposing of ornamental plants, and thrives as an annual in temperate climates. It has several garden varieties. Also called castor - bean and palm a Christ i. See castor-oil; also arillode and caruncle.