palma christ
Definition
Noun 1. A tropical plant: A large, fast-growing shrub native to Africa and Asia, but now widespread in tropical regions. It is characterized by its large, star-shaped (palmate) leaves, spiny seed capsules, and seeds which are the source of castor oil and the poison ricin. * Scientific name: Ricinus communis.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The palma christ grew rapidly in the warm climate, its broad leaves providing dense shade.
- Farmers cultivate palma christ primarily for its seeds, which are processed to produce castor oil.
- Although beautiful, every part of the palma christ plant is poisonous if ingested.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Common Name: "Palma christ" is an older common name for the castor oil plant. The name is derived from the plant's palmate leaves, which some thought resembled a hand (), and its historical medicinal use.
- In some herbal texts, the castor bean plant is still referred to by its traditional name, palma christ.
Variants and Related Words
- Castor oil plant: The most common modern name for the same species ().
- Castor bean: A term for the seed of the palma christ plant.
- Ricinus communis: The botanical Latin name for the species.
Synonyms
- Castor oil plant
- Castor bean plant
Notes on Meaning
- The term palma christ refers specifically to the entire plant species . It is not used to refer to the extracted oil (castor oil) or the isolated poison (ricin) on their own, but to the living shrub that produces them.
Noun
-
large shrub of tropical Africa and Asia having large palmate leaves and spiny capsules containing seeds that are the source of castor oil and ricin; widely naturalized throughout the tropics
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