Re: [gardeners] Still no frost!
Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 04 Nov 2002 08:47:25 -0700
At 07:12 AM 11/4/02 -0600, you wrote:
>The plant is also the source of the castor oil of childhood fame. The
>poisonous part of the seed is in the shell, which is discarded and the
>oil is best cold pressed. Used in many different ways besides skin
>lotions, plastics, etc. IIRC the rest of the plant is poisonous too. A
>short google search will turn up more info on the plant than you can
>read in a day.
>
>George
Some Asian people eat the leaves, but that doesn't mean the plant is safe
to eat. They may have inured themselves to the toxic substances. The beans
look like fancy scarab beetles, and I can see why toddlers would be tempted
to put them in their mouths. Margaret L