84 MISC. PUB. 882, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
mM 
TTI 
BN—13205 
FIGURE 46.—Castorbean (Ricinus communis L.) 
and have 5 or more lobes. The leaf stem is attached to the leaf blade 
some distance from the margin. The flower clusters are borne at 
the ends of the branches although they appear to be borne laterally 
because lateral branches grow past them. They appear to occur in 
the crotch of the branches. The flowers are borne vertically along 
stiff, upright spikes 6 to 12 inches long. The small flowers, which 
lack petals, are about 14 inch across and vary from greenish white to 
reddish brown. The oval fruiting pods are shallow lobed and are 
borne on short, stout stems. They are erect and green when young, 
drooping and hght brown at maturity and are covered with short, 
stiff, fleshy spines. Each pod contains 3 smooth, elliptic seeds about 
1% inch long, usually mottled with gray, black, brown, and white. 
Propagation is by seeds, which may remain dormant in the ground 
until exposed by cultivation or through trampling by livestock. 
