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 Oyl prominent appearance in the series is as a member of Popeye's orchestra in the 1935 short "The Spinach Overture". In the 1980 film directed by Robert Altman, Castor is a key character, and is played by actor Donovan Scott. In the film, however, he is made Olive's younger brother and is considerably less sophisticated than his comic strip counterpart. Castor Oyl is named after castor oil, a medicine often given to children for various ailments until the mid 20th century. His mother Nana's name derives from "banana oil," an epithet similar to "baloney." His father Cole's name derives from "coal