Arandi / Castor Plant
Ricinus communis
Also known as Castorbean, Krapata, Palma Christi, Ricin
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Ricinus communis
- Genus
- Ricinus
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Native to
- Tropical Africa
- Distribution
- Cultivated Throughout tropics
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Recorded for Arandi.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Euphorbiaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Arandi अरंडी,अरंडी arandi,अरण्डी arandi
- Nepali
- अंडेर Ander, अँडिर
- Bengali
- Veranda, ভেন্না
- Tamil
- ஆமணக்கு மரம், ஆமணக்கு
- Telugu
- ఆముదము, ఆముదం
- Kannada
- ಹರಳು Haralu, ಔಡಲ Oudala, ಅವುಂಡಲಗೆ
- Malayalam
- Chittamankku, ആവണക്ക്, ഏരണ്ഡ
- Marathi
- एरंड
- Gujarati
- દિવેલી
Arandi in India
The castor plant is a familiar tall weed and oilseed crop across India — Arandi अरंडी (Hindi), ஆமணக்கு மரம் (Tamil), ఆముదము (Telugu), ಹರಳು Haralu (Kannada), Chittamankku (Malayalam), एरंड (Marathi). Ricinus communis is recorded across Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, on waste ground and as a cultivated crop.
Uses
Its seeds yield castor oil, long used traditionally as a lamp oil, lubricant and laxative, and now in industry — attributed traditional uses. Crucially, the raw seeds contain ricin and are highly poisonous, so the seeds must never be eaten; only properly processed oil is used.
How to Identify Arandi
A fast-growing, often reddish-stemmed shrubby herb with very large, glossy, star-shaped (palmate) lobed leaves. The spiny rounded seed capsules cluster at the top and split to reveal glossy, mottled, bean-like seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Castor Plant called in different Indian languages?
- Arandi अरंडी (Hindi); ஆமணக்கு மரம் (Tamil); ఆముదము (Telugu); ಹರಳು Haralu (Kannada); Chittamankku (Malayalam); एरंड (Marathi); Veranda (Bengali); દિવેલી (Gujarati).
- Are castor seeds poisonous?
- Yes — raw castor seeds contain ricin and are highly toxic; only correctly processed castor oil is safe, and the seeds should never be eaten.
- What is castor oil used for?
- Castor oil has long traditional use as a laxative, lamp oil and lubricant, and is widely used in industry and cosmetics today.
Euphorbiaceae
Spurge/Euphorbia family
Arandi belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Euphorbiaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Arandi or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Euphorbiaceae
View all Euphorbiaceae →Sources: GBIF — Ricinus communis (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Ricinus communis (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Ricinus communis (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)