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#1
19-09-2005, 10:44 AM
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Identifying a plant
Hi
I am trying to find out what a plant is that I have seen in a local park and the Leicester University Botanical Garden. It has leaves similar in size and shape to a Fatsia but is a dark green/red leaf. The plants I have seen are about a metre high and have pink spiky looking fruit/flowers close to the stem. I just wondered if anyone knew what it was Many thanks Lucy |
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#2
19-09-2005, 10:50 AM
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Lucy wrote:
Hi I am trying to find out what a plant is that I have seen in a local park and the Leicester University Botanical Garden. It has leaves similar in size and shape to a Fatsia but is a dark green/red leaf. The plants I have seen are about a metre high and have pink spiky looking fruit/flowers close to the stem. I just wondered if anyone knew what it was Many thanks Lucy It's Ricinus, or Castor bean plant http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html |
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#3
19-09-2005, 11:31 AM
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"Lucy" wrote in message ups.com... Hi I am trying to find out what a plant is that I have seen in a local park and the Leicester University Botanical Garden. It has leaves similar in size and shape to a Fatsia but is a dark green/red leaf. The plants I have seen are about a metre high and have pink spiky looking fruit/flowers close to the stem. I just wondered if anyone knew what it was Many thanks Lucy Probably the "Castor Oil Plant" Ricinis. -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
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#4
19-09-2005, 12:03 PM
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On 19/9/05 10:50, in article , "Philippe
Gautier" wrote: Lucy wrote: Hi I am trying to find out what a plant is that I have seen in a local park and the Leicester University Botanical Garden. It has leaves similar in size and shape to a Fatsia but is a dark green/red leaf. The plants I have seen are about a metre high and have pink spiky looking fruit/flowers close to the stem. I just wondered if anyone knew what it was Many thanks Lucy It's Ricinus, or Castor bean plant http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html It certainly is. Very striking and extremely poisonous. I understand that it's the most poisonous plant in UK. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
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#5
20-09-2005, 10:23 AM
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Many thanks to everyone. Yes it is that one as I had a look at some
pictures on the web. However if it is as poisonous as you say I'll perhaps avoid it as I've two young children. Cheers Lucy Sacha wrote: On 19/9/05 10:50, in article , "Philippe Gautier" wrote: Lucy wrote: Hi I am trying to find out what a plant is that I have seen in a local park and the Leicester University Botanical Garden. It has leaves similar in size and shape to a Fatsia but is a dark green/red leaf. The plants I have seen are about a metre high and have pink spiky looking fruit/flowers close to the stem. I just wondered if anyone knew what it was Many thanks Lucy It's Ricinus, or Castor bean plant http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html It certainly is. Very striking and extremely poisonous. I understand that it's the most poisonous plant in UK. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
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#7
20-09-2005, 01:27 PM
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"Sacha" wrote in message .uk... On 20/9/05 10:23, in article , "Lucy" wrote: Many thanks to everyone. Yes it is that one as I had a look at some pictures on the web. However if it is as poisonous as you say I'll perhaps avoid it as I've two young children. snip It's fair to say that there are no known cases of deaths from eating Ricinus accidentally, as far as I know. Indeed, more plants are poisonous than are not, at least to some degree. But this is so toxic that I wouldn't plant it with children around, no. However, the great thing is to teach children not to put anything *at all* in their mouths without asking you first. And they should bring *you* to the plants, not vice versa! You don't want them picking Euphorbia or rue! -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) ============== I believe that sale of the seeds was banned a few years ago when it was considered that the poison which could be produced (Ricin) could be used to make the type of gas which caused so many deaths and injuries in the gas attacks on Japanese railway stations. Cic. |
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#8
20-09-2005, 01:34 PM
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On 20/9/05 13:27, in article
, "Cicero" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message .uk... On 20/9/05 10:23, in article , "Lucy" wrote: Many thanks to everyone. Yes it is that one as I had a look at some pictures on the web. However if it is as poisonous as you say I'll perhaps avoid it as I've two young children. snip It's fair to say that there are no known cases of deaths from eating Ricinus accidentally, as far as I know. Indeed, more plants are poisonous than are not, at least to some degree. But this is so toxic that I wouldn't plant it with children around, no. However, the great thing is to teach children not to put anything *at all* in their mouths without asking you first. And they should bring *you* to the plants, not vice versa! You don't want them picking Euphorbia or rue! -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) ============== I believe that sale of the seeds was banned a few years ago when it was considered that the poison which could be produced (Ricin) could be used to make the type of gas which caused so many deaths and injuries in the gas attacks on Japanese railway stations. Cic. No, there was talk of banning them but it didn't happen. Various town councils, including Totnes, have used them as part of municipal planting. You can still get them from e.g. Mail order sites, too. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
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#9
20-09-2005, 03:12 PM
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It's fair to say that there are no known cases of deaths from eating
Ricinus accidentally, as far as I know. Indeed, more plants are poisonous than are not, at least to some degree. But this is so toxic that I wouldn't plant it with children around, no. However, the great thing is to teach children not to put anything *at all* in their mouths without asking you first. And they should bring *you* to the plants, not vice versa! You don't want them picking Euphorbia or rue! -- Sacha While it's true that the seeds are extremely poisonous and can result in death if chewed and ingested, the rest of the plant is classed as only mildly poisonous - i.e. less dangerous than a host of other garden plants we happily grow. Ricinus are stunningly beautiful, dramatic foliage plants, and I wouldn't be without them in my garden. To avoid any problems, you can cut off the flowering parts before the seeds are formed. |
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#10
20-09-2005, 06:23 PM
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"Cicero" wrote in message .uk... "Sacha" wrote in message .uk... On 20/9/05 10:23, in article , "Lucy" wrote: Many thanks to everyone. Yes it is that one as I had a look at some pictures on the web. However if it is as poisonous as you say I'll perhaps avoid it as I've two young children. snip It's fair to say that there are no known cases of deaths from eating Ricinus accidentally, as far as I know. Indeed, more plants are poisonous than are not, at least to some degree. But this is so toxic that I wouldn't plant it with children around, no. However, the great thing is to teach children not to put anything *at all* in their mouths without asking you first. And they should bring *you* to the plants, not vice versa! You don't want them picking Euphorbia or rue! -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) ============== I believe that sale of the seeds was banned a few years ago when it was considered that the poison which could be produced (Ricin) could be used to make the type of gas which caused so many deaths and injuries in the gas attacks on Japanese railway stations. Cic. You are getting Ricin and Sarin muddled, Ricin was not used in the Tokyo attacks. I also suspect it would turn out to be one of those deadly poisons that it is actually quite hard to poison a lot of people with. -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
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