Potential deadly poison from eduardo in sc

I just found it growing in my backyard, about two feet tall.

 

Hi Eduardo,

your plant is a castor bean, source of the deadly chemical ricin, but also the source of the oil called castor oil.  The plant is not native, but is often grown for ornament, and it is not poisonous if touched, but only when the seeds are eaten, and possibly has toxins in the leaves and stems as well.  The plant is not actually a bean, but a member of the Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, known to have many poisonous members.  The scientific name of this plant is Ricinus communis.

 

Sincerely,

 

Steve Hill  SCNPS

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