POISONOUS AND INJURIOUS PLANTS 83 
BN—13174 
FIGURE 45.—Bitterash (Rawvolfia tetraphylla 1.) 
Euphorbiaceae, or Spurge, Family 
Ricinus communis L. (fig. 46) 
Castorbean, Castornut 
Description.—Castorbean is a robust, fast-growing annual or weak 
perennial. Escape plants found growing wild attain the size of small 
trees and become very woody. The strong, often crooked stems are 
5 to 30 feet high; green or red to purple, and often covered with a 
white, waxy bloom when young. The large, alternate, star-shaped 
leaves are borne on long, strong leaf stems. The thin leaf blades, 
which have finely toothed margins, measure 4 to 24 inches across 
