Botanical name : Ricinus communis Linn.

Family : Euphorbiaceae

SANSKRIT SYNONYMS

Erandah, Panchangula, Vatari, Deerghadanda, Gandharvahasta, Tharuna, Vardhamana, Rubkam

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES

Rasa : Kashaya, Madhura, Katu

Guna : Guru, Snigda, Teekshna, Sookshma

Virya : Ushna

PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

English : Castor

Hindi : Erandi, Erand

Malayalam : Avanakku

PLANT DESCRIPTION

A perennial, bushy, soft-wooded small tree with a thin greyish brown bark; leaves palmately lobed with seven or more serrate lobes; flowers monoecious in terminal panniculate racemes with crowded male flowers on the upper half of the inflorescence and the pistillate at the basal half; fruits globose, explosively dehiscent, 3-seeded capsules, when young it is green and covered with fleshy prickles; seeds oblong with smooth, hard, mottled crustaceous testa with a white caruncle at the top enclosing oily and fleshy endosperm

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Plant pacifies vitiated vata, abdominal discomfort, constipation, inflammation, fever, ascites, bronchitis, cough, leprosy, skin diseases, colic and lumbago.

Useful parts : Root, Leaves, Flowers, Seeds, Oil