African Wonder Tree

Scientific Name: Ricinus communis

Family:

Where Found: Native to the topics, but grown in North America as an ornamental plant or as a crop for castor oil.

Toxicity: Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Horses

Toxic Principles: Ricin (highly toxic)

Clinical Signs: Access to ornamental plants or pruned foliage most common in poisonings. Ricin is a highly toxic component that inhibits protein synthesis; ingestion of as little as one ounce of seeds can be lethal. Signs typically develop 12 to 48 hours after ingestion, and include loss of appetite, excessive thirst, weakness, colic, trembling, sweating, loss of coordination, difficulty breathing, progressive central nervous system depression, and fever. As syndrome progresses, bloody diarrhea may occur, and convulsions and coma can precede death.

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