Can anyone identify this plant
 

This plant is at least five feet tall, posibly more with fleshy stems
about half a inch thick, bronze red colour all over except the
undersides of the leaves. I can send a photo. The leaves are deeply
cut like a hand, at least one foot across possibly more and the
flowers are separate male and female, the male is a bright red spiky
ball, although fleshy and not sharp to the touch and the female is
creamy white. It looks very spectacular and is cut down by the frost
but has survived at least one winter, possibly due to it being in a
sheltered position in a flowerbed surrounded by concrete. It just
appeared last summer in my neighbours garden, but they don,t know how
it got there or anything about it.
Chris

chris wrote:
This plant is at least five feet tall, posibly more with fleshy stems
about half a inch thick, bronze red colour all over except the
undersides of the leaves. I can send a photo. The leaves are deeply
cut like a hand, at least one foot across possibly more and the
flowers are separate male and female, the male is a bright red spiky
ball, although fleshy and not sharp to the touch and the female is
creamy white. It looks very spectacular and is cut down by the frost
but has survived at least one winter, possibly due to it being in a
sheltered position in a flowerbed surrounded by concrete. It just
appeared last summer in my neighbours garden, but they don,t know how
it got there or anything about it.
Chris

castor oil plant, ricinus communis?

for ex, have a look at:
http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/weeklypics/2-3-03.html


Philippe

On 8/9/04 16:13, in article ,
"chris" wrote:

This plant is at least five feet tall, posibly more with fleshy stems
about half a inch thick, bronze red colour all over except the
undersides of the leaves. I can send a photo. The leaves are deeply
cut like a hand, at least one foot across possibly more and the
flowers are separate male and female, the male is a bright red spiky
ball, although fleshy and not sharp to the touch and the female is
creamy white. It looks very spectacular and is cut down by the frost
but has survived at least one winter, possibly due to it being in a
sheltered position in a flowerbed surrounded by concrete. It just
appeared last summer in my neighbours garden, but they don,t know how
it got there or anything about it.
Chris

Could be Ricinus communis which sounds right for colour of some varieties.
Have a look at this and NB that it's very poisonous:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Sacha wrote:

Could be Ricinus communis which sounds right for colour of some
varieties. Have a look at this and NB that it's very poisonous:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html


Specifically, the bean pods are the most poisonous, it is form these that
the poison *ricin* is produced.

pk

On 8/9/04 18:01, in article , "PK"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Could be Ricinus communis which sounds right for colour of some
varieties. Have a look at this and NB that it's very poisonous:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html


Specifically, the bean pods are the most poisonous, it is form these that
the poison *ricin* is produced.

pk


And Castor Oil.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In message , Sacha
writes
On 8/9/04 16:13, in article ,
"chris" wrote:

This plant is at least five feet tall, posibly more with fleshy stems
about half a inch thick, bronze red colour all over except the
undersides of the leaves. I can send a photo. The leaves are deeply
cut like a hand, at least one foot across possibly more and the
flowers are separate male and female, the male is a bright red spiky
ball, although fleshy and not sharp to the touch and the female is
creamy white. It looks very spectacular and is cut down by the frost
but has survived at least one winter, possibly due to it being in a
sheltered position in a flowerbed surrounded by concrete. It just
appeared last summer in my neighbours garden, but they don,t know how
it got there or anything about it.
Chris

Could be Ricinus communis which sounds right for colour of some varieties.
Have a look at this and NB that it's very poisonous:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html

Yes. It sounds exactly like the ornamental cultivar which has almost
metallic looking red bronze foliage. Popular as a bedding plant on the
continent and will grow OK in most of the UK.

There is an ordinary boring looking green form as well. It is usually
quite tender and expires due to fungal rot during most UK winters.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

On 9/9/04 13:34, in article , "Martin
Brown" wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
On 8/9/04 16:13, in article ,
"chris" wrote:

This plant is at least five feet tall, posibly more with fleshy stems
about half a inch thick, bronze red colour all over except the
undersides of the leaves. snip

Could be Ricinus communis which sounds right for colour of some varieties.
Have a look at this and NB that it's very poisonous:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html

Yes. It sounds exactly like the ornamental cultivar which has almost
metallic looking red bronze foliage. Popular as a bedding plant on the
continent and will grow OK in most of the UK.

There is an ordinary boring looking green form as well. It is usually
quite tender and expires due to fungal rot during most UK winters.

This plant came up in another thread a few weeks ago and there was some
doubt that it could still be sold and planted. I said I thought I'd seen
some at the roundabout in Totnes and I was right! It's beloved of municipal
plantsmen and these are absolutely flourishing.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Sacha wrote in message . uk...
On 9/9/04 13:34, in article , "Martin
Brown" wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
On 8/9/04 16:13, in article ,
"chris" wrote:

This plant is at least five feet tall, posibly more with fleshy stems
about half a inch thick, bronze red colour all over except the
undersides of the leaves. snip

Could be Ricinus communis which sounds right for colour of some varieties.
Have a look at this and NB that it's very poisonous:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html

Yes. It sounds exactly like the ornamental cultivar which has almost
metallic looking red bronze foliage. Popular as a bedding plant on the
continent and will grow OK in most of the UK.

There is an ordinary boring looking green form as well. It is usually
quite tender and expires due to fungal rot during most UK winters.

This plant came up in another thread a few weeks ago and there was some
doubt that it could still be sold and planted. I said I thought I'd seen
some at the roundabout in Totnes and I was right! It's beloved of municipal
plantsmen and these are absolutely flourishing.

YES!!!! This is the plant! How do I get rid of it safely?

On 10/9/04 18:33, in article
, "chris"
wrote:

Sacha wrote in message
. uk...
snip This plant came up in another thread a few weeks ago and there was
some
doubt that it could still be sold and planted. I said I thought I'd seen
some at the roundabout in Totnes and I was right! It's beloved of municipal
plantsmen and these are absolutely flourishing.

YES!!!! This is the plant! How do I get rid of it safely?

Cut it down and don't let it seed first. Chuck it in the rubbish that isn't
going to be recycled. ;-) But to be honest, unless you have someone living
there who is likely to take chomping great bites out of it, do you need to
worry about killing it off?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In message , chris
writes
Sacha wrote in message
.uk...
On 9/9/04 13:34, in article , "Martin
Brown" wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
On 8/9/04 16:13, in article
m,

Could be Ricinus communis which sounds right for colour of some varieties.
Have a look at this and NB that it's very poisonous:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html

Yes. It sounds exactly like the ornamental cultivar which has almost
metallic looking red bronze foliage. Popular as a bedding plant on the
continent and will grow OK in most of the UK.

There is an ordinary boring looking green form as well. It is usually
quite tender and expires due to fungal rot during most UK winters.

This plant came up in another thread a few weeks ago and there was some
doubt that it could still be sold and planted. I said I thought I'd seen
some at the roundabout in Totnes and I was right! It's beloved of municipal
plantsmen and these are absolutely flourishing.

YES!!!! This is the plant! How do I get rid of it safely?

Unless you have small children that might eat the seeds it is a very
handsome and striking plant for the borders. I grow it myself some
years. On the continent it is very common in municipal borders.

It will rot down pretty much like any other tropical plant once it has
been hit by the first frost. Remember to wash your hands after handling
it.

Either save the seeds or bin them. They are the things with the highest
risk of being eaten and also the most toxic part of the plant.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown