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Calotropis
Calotropis is a genus of shrubs in the dogbane family, mainly Calotropis gigantea and C. procera, that grow large and are often found as weeds in dry, abandoned land. The key to growing them is full sun, very little water, and treating all parts as toxic.
Calotropis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1810. It is native to southern Asia and North Africa.
They are commonly known as milkweeds because of the latex they produce. Calotropis species are considered common weeds in some parts of the world. The flowers are fragrant and are often used in making floral tassels in some mainland Southeast Asian cultures. Fibers of these plants are called mudar or mader. The flowers of the plant are offered to the Hindu deities Shiva, Ganesha, Shani Dev and Hanuman. Calotropis species are usually found in abandoned farmland.
The milky sap of Calotropis plants is a toxic substance that can cause irritation when it comes into contact with the skin or eyes. The sap can be collected from various parts of the plant, including the flowers, stem, and leaves. The sap is extremely bitter and turns into a gluey coating that is resistant to soap, therefore it has to be treated immediately once it has fallen into the eye.
Calotropis species are toxic plants; calotropin, a compound in the latex, is more toxic than strychnine. Calotropin is similar in structure to two cardiac glycosides which are responsible for the cytotoxicity of Apocynum cannabinum. Extracts from the flowers of Calotropis procera have shown strong cytotoxic activity. Cattle and other animals often stay away from the plants because of their unpleasant taste and their content of cardiac glycosides.
Calotropis, a genus of plants that includes species such as Calotropis gigantea and Calotropis procera, has been traditionally used for its medicinal properties in various cultures. The following are some of the reported medicinal uses of Calotropis:
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Calotropis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
