Lupus Posted May 22, 2000 Hi, I am growing Castor beans and I noticed something at the base of the leaves. There is a small nodule right where the leaf and the stem of the leaf meet that is secreating a somewhat cloudy liquid. What could this be?? Does this contain a higher concentration of ricin then, say, just the leaf?? -Confused. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest reville Posted May 22, 2000 ricin is a nasty little chemical - highly toxic.I cant remember exactly how it acts ( i left my biochem at home) but it is very toxic.On th other hand its not fat soluble which is why castor oil is OK.Isnt it strange how someone figured out the oil is ok - would you be game to try it?? Anyway that exudate sparked a memory of a conversation i had in class the other day - a friend ws telling me how she has an awful problem with ants - big bitey ones and that they love the castor oil bushes - we guessed ther might be some kind of interaction like i'd seen on acacia saligna where the plant exudes a "honey dew" for the ants and they in turn ferociously guard it.maybe thats it , i dont know - ill have to drop in on some wasteland and check it out.by the way theres two varieties growing near me - a light green one and a purple one , they grow side by side in about a 50:50 ratio but when they germinate theyre always one or the other and stay that way.probably of no interest , just wondering. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
