palma christi

6 definitions found

palma christi - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Palma Christi \Pal"ma Chris"ti\ [L., palm of Christ.] (Bot.)
     A plant (Ricinus communis) with ornamental peltate and
     palmately cleft foliage, growing as a woody perennial in the
     tropics, and cultivated as an herbaceous annual in temperate
     regions; -- called also castor-oil plant. [Sometimes
     corrupted into palmcrist.]
     [1913 Webster]

  Palmic \Pal"mic\, a. [Cf. F. palmique.] (Chem.)
     Of, pertaining to, or derived from, the castor-oil plant
     (Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi) and other species of
     the family Euphorbiaceae; -- formerly used to designate an
     acid now called ricinoleic acid (d-12-hydroxyoleic acid,
     C18H34O3). [Obsoles.]
     [1913 Webster]

  ricinoleic acid \ric`in*o"le*ic ac"id\, n. (Chem.)
     An organic acid (C18H34O3) obtained from the castor-oil
     plant (Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi) and other
     species of the family Euphorbiaceae; chemicaly it is
     d-12-hydroxyoleic acid
     (CH3(CH2)5.CH(OH).CH2.CH=CH.(CH2)7COOH). Formerly called
     palmic acid.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]

  Castor bean \Cas"tor bean`\ (Bot.)
     The bean or seed of the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis,
     or Palma Christi.)
     [1913 Webster]

  Castor oil \Cas"tor oil\ (k[a^]s"t[~e]r oil`).
     A mild cathartic oil, expressed or extracted from the seeds
     of the Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi. When fresh the
     oil is inodorous and insipid.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Castor-oil plant. Same as Palma Christi.
        [1913 Webster]

palma christi - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  palma christi
      n 1: large shrub of tropical Africa and Asia having large
           palmate leaves and spiny capsules containing seeds that are
           the source of castor oil and ricin; widely naturalized
           throughout the tropics [syn: castor-oil plant, castor bean plant
           , palma christi, palma christ, Ricinus communis
           ]