palma christi Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun 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
    castor bean plant; palma christ; Ricinus communis; castor-oil plant.

WordNet

Pal"ma Chris"ti
Etymology
L., palm of Christ.
Definitions
  1. (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.

Webster 1913