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 and Pollux revered by the Romans, probably as the result of cultural transmission via the Greek colonies of Magna Graecia in southern Italy. An archaic Latin inscription of the sixth or fifth century BC found at Lavinium, which reads "Castorei Podlouqueique qurois" ("To Castor and Pollux, the Dioskouroi"), suggests a direct transmission from the Greeks; the word "qurois" is virtually a transliteration of the Greek word "κούροις", while "Podlouquei" is effectively a transliteration of the Greek "Πολυδεύκης". The construction of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, located in the Roman Forum at the heart of their city, was undertaken to fulfil a