Castor Bean, Ricinus communis

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?BVOIL 17 August 2011 Castor Bean, Ricinus communis

This beautiful plant is grown for its tropical appearance in the home garden. There is a red and green type but I only have the green type this year. The object is to see how large it will become before freeze-up. The beans, seed pods, must be accounted for in a home garden, since ingestion means sure death.The poison is ricin. Grown commercially for oil production castrol, and castor oil in manufacturing various products.Agricultural workers suffer debilitating effects, and the plant probably should be classified up there with asbestos. Grown commercially in India, Brazil, China, and some other countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil_plant More information.

[pelmetman]

Hi Durgan

I planted the red Ricinus communis from seed a couple of years ago and was amazed as to how quickly and large they grew, they were a real 'statement' plant and looked lovely planted with lots of hot coloured plants i.e. oranges, reds and yellows. It was quite sad how they just shrivelled at the first sign of frost.

Fatsia Japonica will grow outside in this country, ours even survived last winter with no protection and is a good plant to grow which, I think, is of the same species?

Sue

[grahamhobbs]

Remember the Ricin terrorist plot, that never was (all the accused were finally aquited after a trial costing £20m), but not after Blair used it to whip up hysteria prior to the Iraq war. A few weeks later, Colin Powell mentioned the plot in his address to the United Nations in their attempt to get backing for the war, although by then the Brititsh Government already knew that no ricin had actually been found.
Its ironic that right outside the MI5 building in London there is a flower bed with guess what, a castor bean plant growing there !!

[Durgan]

Remember the Ricin terrorist plot, that never was (all the accused were finally aquited after a trial costing £20m), but not after Blair used it to whip up hysteria prior to the Iraq war. A few weeks later, Colin Powell mentioned the plot in his address to the United Nations in their attempt to get backing for the war, although by then the Brititsh Government already knew that no ricin had actually been found.
Its ironic that right outside the MI5 building in London there is a flower bed with guess what, a castor bean plant growing there !!

I remember the story well, and automatically knew it was BS. Who the hell would go to such lengths to kill somebody, and not even be sure of the outcome? Possibly the CIA or the like in other countries?