HIGUERILLA (ricinus communis)

	H
	HIGUERILLA
	*ricinus communis*

Name
HIGUERILLA

Scientific Name
ricinus communis

HIGUERILLA

Its main medicinal use is for the stomach ache, fever, gripa, external infections and blows. The leaves and seeds of this plant are the used parts more for diverse malaises. The cofoundation of the leaves mixed with other plants is used and with the resulting water it bathes the patient or they are placed in the abdomen to do that transpire. When there are headaches, the leaves extend on the same one and they are covered with a rag. Other problems for which the Higuerilla is used are cólicos, calluses, anginas and measles. The macerated seed is used like laxative and against the diabetes, pains muscular, slight, grain blows and cut and poles of insects.

Shrub of up to 4 ms of height, of hollow and graft stem that it goes of green color to the reddish coffee. Their leaves have star form, with indented reddish and wild ribbings of irregular size. The flowers are clusters of white color; their fruits are globosos and thorny and lodge three great and semiflattened seeds. It is an original plant of Africa, frequently one is in warm and tempered earth.

Ricinus is a Latin word that means garrapata, and makes reference to the form of the seed; of there the name of our plant. The denomination "fig tree del devil" can that talks about al aspect of its leaves, like those of the fig tree, or to the reddish coloration of the stems, although also could be due to the demonic toxicity that locks up the seeds.

Small branch of the ricino, with its slapped leaves and their masculine and feminine flowers (over the previous ones). In the drawings in detail (down, of right to left), a masculine inflorescencia, a feminine flower and the covered fruit of prongs, and (above) one of the three made oval and oily seeds that are in their interior.

Of the seeds of the ricino the ricino oil, a bitter laxative is extracted and vermifuge, that some decades ago was administered to million to million European children with great misfortune of its part by its disagreeable flavor.

It is a shrub able to reach 2 ms of height if the climate is propitious. Very graft, as much the trunk as the branches and the nerviaciones of the leaves acquires a very showy reddish coloration. The flowers are of two types: masculine and feminine, but both on the same foot, feminine in the superior part and the masculine ones below these. The fruits (that only form from the feminine ones) are small covered capsules of prongs that, when they mature, are opened elastically and projected the three made oval and flattened seeds that contains. One also denominates catapucia and fig tree of the devil.

LOCATION: He is original of North Africa, where it has been known for more than 6,000 years. In old Egypt they used at that time the seed already to extract oil, when not yet the olive oil was known. Of there, Step to be cultivated in the other continents. Where better it grows is in the regions where the seasons of drought happen to those of rain.

ACTIVE PRINCIPLES: A species of ricino only exists; nevertheless, to the cultivated salary for bariums centuries, they have been being appearing many varieties with diverse forms and sizes of the seeds, or with the leaves of greater or smaller dimensions, but all has seeds with identical farmacológicas properties the seeds contain between 50 and 80 % of oil, the ricino oil. Remainder of seed crushed and ground when already the oil has been extracted (what "cake" is denominated) contains a vegetal albumen (a toxialbúmina) denominated ricino, a very toxic poison that expands the blood vessels, being enough only 2 thousandth d milligram to kill a rabbit.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES: The ricino oil is the laxative one par excellence, but its work is very disagreeable.

HARVESTING: The mature fruit must be collected, before the seeds are expelled from their interior. In tropical climates, where are the main cultures, the maturation lasts almost all the year, reason why it is collected at any time. The seeds separate of the covers and are put under diverse industrial procedures to extract ricino oil.

USES And APPLICATIONS: The ricino oil has an unquestionable laxative action: two soperas spoonfuls are sufficient to evacuate the intestinal content in less than 4 hours without producing intestinal irritations. In order to disguise the disagreeable flavor, coffee or tea or beer can be taken with. In old Egypt they used it as lamp oil and only petroleum has managed to replace it.

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