Ricinus caruncle promotes the dispersal of the seed by ants (myrmecochory). The name "Ricinus" is a Latin word for tick; the seed is so named because it has markings and a bump at the end that resemble certain ticks. The genus "Ricinus" also exists in zoology, and designates insects (not ticks) which are parasites of birds; this is possible because the names of animals and plants are governed by different nomenclature codes. The common name "castor oil" probably comes from its use as a replacement for castoreum, a perfume base made from the dried perineal glands of the beaver ("castor" in
Castor wax it contains three secondary hydroxyl groups. These coating compositions are useful as a top coat varnish for leather, wood and rubber. Castor wax can also be added to beeswax for encaustic painting. Castor wax Castor wax, also called hydrogenated castor oil, is an opaque, white vegetable wax. It is produced by the hydrogenation of pure castor oil often in the presence of a nickel catalyst to increase the rate of reaction. The hydrogenation of castor oil forms saturated molecules of castor wax; this saturation is responsible for the hard, brittle and insoluble nature of the wax. Castor wax is used