"Gilly" wrote in message
...
Like most towns, my town council has several gardens and plantings
throughout the town. This year all their plantings include Ricinus which
are showing a fine crop of red spiky berry things. I thought that parts
of
this plant are highly dangerous? Should I be phoning the council and
expressing my concern, or am I over-reacting?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are over-reacting. Yes, their seeds are poisonous
but so are many plant products. There is nothing about this castor oil plant
that invites being eaten.
The last fatality was in a school, in north Devon, during a time when
these seeds were supplied in large quantities to schools, by the Nuffield
foundation, for experimenting in science classes ~~1970ish. One child
ignoring all instructions.
I have not seen the seeds actually being produced in the UK.
Interestingly the flowers have no petals.
Best Wishes Brian.