The C-18 backbone of castor oil fragments, thermally to C-11+ C-7 by a π2s+ π2s+ o2s process and with hot alkali to c-10+ c-8 via unique sequence involving a primary reaction which is associated with three different types of redox systems as well as with uncoupled oxidation, the overall change amounting to a milieu of hydride transfer, π-migration, retro- Michael, retro-aldol, Meerwein-Pondorff-Verley as well as Cannizzaro type of reactions. ...