Please help me identify the attached photo shot yesterday in Wellfleet, Mass. I have also seen this plant growing in new jersey. Star-like leaf with reddish seed pods. Thanks! Jann K
The toxic chemical is Ricin. It is a cytotoxic (kills cells). The mechanism of it's toxic effect has been worked out, but it is kind of complicated to explain. In very brief terms, it interferes with the cell's ability to manufacture new proteins. (One day, this effect may find a use in medicine.) It is estimated that the lethal dose for an average adult is about 1 milligram. And one single seed chewed and ingested may be sufficient to kill a small child. The ricin is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. The seed has a thick impermeable coat which is not digestible. If the seed is ingested whole, without being damaged, it likely will just get passed out at the other end in due course without causing harm (but PLEASE do not try it - you do not have to prove the point!). However, if chewed or the seed coat is breached, the ricin will get absorbed and cause damage. There is another toxin associated with castor beans, RCA (or Ricinus communis agglutinin). This, interestingly, causes red blood cells to agglutinate (clump together) and lyse (burst) when injected. However, it is not absorbed through the intestinal tract and will need to be given through a injection to cause this effect.
