Ricinus communis

Castor Oil Plant - a highly toxic plant that produces ricin from the seeds. It can grow to the size of a small tree. It flowers from July to September. The seeds ripen up to November. The bristly, spined, bronze-to-red clusters of fruits are attractive but often are removed before they mature because of the poison ricin concentrated in their mottled, bean like seeds. I photographed this plant in May and again in November in Portugal.