castor-oil plant, ( Ricinus communis ), large plant of the spurge family ( Euphorbiaceae ), grown commercially for the pharmaceutical and industrial uses of its oil and for use in landscaping. Probably native to tropical Africa, the castor-oil plant has become naturalized throughout warm areas of the world.
Is castor oil a renewable resource?
Castor oil has long been used commercially as a highly renewable resource for the chemical industry. 1, 2 It is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing the seeds of the castor oil plant ( Ricinus communis L.) that is mainly cultivated in Africa, South America, and India. 3, 4 Major castor oil-producing countries include Brazil, China, and India.
Which countries import castor oil?
Production of castor seed in the main producing countries, 2000 to 2009. European Union countries were the main importers of castor oil. Their importation increased 18.1% in the period of 2003 to 2010 ( Table 3 ). Meanwhile, China increased castor oil imports by 592%, and became the main importer in the world.
Where did castor oil come from?
Oxford University Herbaria. Dept. of Plant Sciences, Oxford. The castor oil plant is one of the few major crops to have an origin in Africa. ^ "Euphorbiaceae (spurge) genomics". Institute for Genome Sciences. University of Maryland Medical School. Retrieved 9 March 2009. ^ Rizzardo, RA; Milfont, MO; Silva, EM; Freitas, BM (December 2012).