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Ricinus communis L.
Castor-bean

Ricinus communis
Copyright by: Alex P. Seasholtz, 2019
In Sunny Palms Pineland, Miami-Dade County
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Family: Euphorbiaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Tree

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Africa; widely cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics and subtropics.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

FLEPPC Status: Category II Invasive

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Not Native, Naturalized

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Formerly Cultivated

Comments: See a 2018 post on the Treasure Coast Natives blog on the history of Castor-bean.

Other data on Ricinus communis available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Ricinus communis has been found in the following 105 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Alice C. Wainwright Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Andrew Dodge Memorial Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Babcock Ranch Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Big and Little George Hammocks Present Not Native, Naturalized
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bill Sadowski Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Biscayne National Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Black Creek Forest Present Not Native, Naturalized
Black Point Park and Marina Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bonair Beach Parcel, Martin County Present Not Native, Naturalized
Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve Assumed to be Present Not Native, Naturalized
Camp Owaissa Bauer Present Not Native, Naturalized
Castellow Hammock parcel 28 Present Not Native, Naturalized
Chapman Field Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Coconut Creek Maple Swamp Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Crandon Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Crystal Lake Sand Pine Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Cypress Knee Slough Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Not Native, Naturalized
Delray Beach, Lake Ida parcel Present Not Native, Naturalized
Delray Oaks Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Doris Davis Forman Wilderness Preserve Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dry Tortugas National Park Presumed Extirpated Not Native, Cultivated Only
Dupuis Reserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Eachus Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Everglades National Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Fern Forest Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Florida City Pineland Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
Frog Pond/L-31 N Transition Lands Present Not Native, Naturalized
Fuchs Hammock Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gasparilla Island State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
George N. Avery Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gold Coast Railroad Museum Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gopher Tortoise Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gulfstream Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Harden Hammock Present Not Native, Naturalized
Highland Oaks Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Highlands Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Holiday Hammock Present Not Native, Naturalized
Homestead Bayfront Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Ingram Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Jonathan Dickinson State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Juno Dunes Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Kendall Indian Hammocks Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Kendalwood Present Not Native, Naturalized
Lake Okeechobee Marshes Present Not Native, Naturalized
Lake Okeechobee Ridge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Larry and Penny Thompson Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Klopp Tract Present Not Native, Naturalized
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Luis Martinez United States Army Reserve Station, Richmond Pine Rocklands Present Not Native, Naturalized
Mangrove Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Matanzas Pass Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Matheson Hammock Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Military Trail Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Moreno Pine Rockland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Mound Key Archaeological State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
National Key Deer Refuge Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
Navy Wells Pineland Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Nixon Smiley Pineland Addition Present Not Native, Naturalized
Oleta River State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Palm Drive Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Pine Island Ridge Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Porter-Russell Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Quail Roost Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Railhead Scrub Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Red Reef Park, including Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rock Pit 34 Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rock Pit 39 Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rockdale Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Savannas Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Seabranch Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Seacrest Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Secret Woods Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Silver Palm Groves Present Not Native, Naturalized
Silver Palm Hammock Present Not Native, Naturalized
Sugarloaf Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Sunny Palms Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tall Cypress Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tilton Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tradewinds Park & Stables Present Not Native, Naturalized
Trail Glades Range Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tree Island Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tree Tops Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tropical Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Virginia Key Beach Park and Marine Stadium Present Not Native, Naturalized
Warbler Wetland Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
West Lake Park/Anne Kolb Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Whispering Pines Hammock Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Woodmont Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Yamato Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Zoo Miami Present Not Native, Naturalized

Ricinus communis has been found in the following 8 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Not Native, Naturalized
Glades County Not Native, Naturalized
Hendry County Not Native, Naturalized
Lee County Not Native, Naturalized
Martin County Not Native, Naturalized
Miami-Dade County Not Native, Naturalized
Monroe County (Keys) Not Native, Naturalized
Palm Beach County Not Native, Naturalized

Ricinus communis has been found in the following 8 habitats :
Coastal Strand
Disturbed Upland
Maritime Hammock
Marl Prairie
Pine Rockland
Prairie Hammock
Rockland Hammock
Shell Mound

All Images:

Ricinus communis
Copyright by: Alex P. Seasholtz, 2019
In Sunny Palms Pineland, Miami-Dade County
Expand
Ricinus communis
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
Ricinus communis
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Ricinus communis
Copyright by: Alex P. Seasholtz, 2019
In Sunny Palms Pineland, Miami-Dade County
Ricinus communis
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Ricinus communis
Copyright by: Shirley Denton