Ricinocarpos


Ricinocarpos is a genus of evergreen flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Ricinocarpos are monoecious shrubs with leaves arranged alternately along the branches, the edges curved downwards or rolled under. Male flowers are arranged singly or in racemes at the ends of branchlets, with four to six sepals that are fused at the base. There are four to six petals that are longer than the sepals, with many stamens fused to form a central column. Female flowers are arranged singly and are similar to male flowers but with three styles fused at the base and with a deeply branched tip. The fruit is a capsule containing seeds with an elaiosome.[3][4]

The genus Ricinocarpus was first formally described in 1817 by René Louiche Desfontaines in Mémoires du Muséum d'histoire naturelle.[5][6] The entire genus is endemic to Australia.[7][8]