Calotropis gigantea

Calotropis gigantea, the crown flower, is a species of Calotropis native to Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, China, Pakistan, and Nepal. It is a large shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall. It has clusters of waxy flowers that are either white or lavender in colour. Each flower consists of five pointed petals and a small "crown" rising from the center which holds the stamens. The aestivation found in calotropis is valvate i.e. sepals or petals in a whorl just touch one another at the margin, without overlapping. The plant has oval, light green leaves and milky stem. The latex of Calotropis gigantea contains cardiac glycosides, fatty acids, and calcium oxalate. The roots also contain Calotropone.

Description

An evergreen shrub. It grows to 5 m high. The stems are covered with white woolly hairs. The leaves are simple and opposite. The leaves are fattened oval shape. They are 10-16 cm long by 8-10 cm wide. They are woolly and the veins are light. The flowers are about 5 cm across.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers Leaves Manna Edible Uses: Drink The central part of the flower is candied and used as a sweetmeat. An alcoholic drink is made from the leaves. The plant yields a manna.

Traditional Uses

An alcoholic drink is made from the leaves. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. The plant yields a kind of manna. The flowers are made into a sweet meat. The leaves are cooked with alkali and dry fish. CAUTION: The milky sap is poisonous. It can also cause skin irritation.

Medicinal Uses

Abortifacient Antiasthmatic Antidiarrhoeal Antirheumatic Antiseptic Diaphoretic Dysentery Emetic Epilepsy Expectorant Febrifuge Leprosy Mouthwash Poultice Purgative Skin Stings Vermifuge The milky sap (latex) coagulates when warm and is said to have similar cardiac properties to digitalis (from various Digitalis spp.). It is also considered to be antiseptic, emetic, purgative and vermifuge. It is used in the treatment of a variety of other conditions including dysentery, leprosy, elephantiasis, epilepsy, asthma and many other complaints. Mixed with salt, it is taken orally as an emetic for treating severe colds. In Nepal, the latex is applied to sprains, body pains, boils and pimples. The milky latex is used externally to stop bleeding, and for treating a wide range of conditions including leprosy, rheumatism, ringworm, boils, scabies, stings, burns, bruises, cuts, sores and wounds, . It is applied to the gums and teeth to treat caries and toothaches. The bark is used as a medicine for the treatment of neurodermatitis and syphilis. The powdered bark is used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, elephantiasis, and leprosy . The stem bark is diaphoretic and expectorant, and is used for dysentery, spleen complaints, convulsions, lumbago, scabies, ringworm, pneumonia, and to induce labour. An infusion of the leaves is used to treat severe chest colds and heart conditions. The leaf juice is used in the treatment of intermittent fever. The smoke of dried, burned leaves is inhaled to calm asthma attacks. The crushed leaves are warmed and used as a poultice on sores, burns, headaches and rheumatic pains. The powdered flowers are valued for treating coughs, colds and asthma. An infusion is taken to treat intestinal worms, rheumatism and epileptic attacks. The juice of young buds is dropped into the ear in the treatment of earache. The fruit pulp is considered abortive.

Known Hazards

Many plant and animal extracts have been used as arrow poisons all over the world. In many cases, the poison was applied to the arrow or spear to aid the hunting of prey. Alkaloids are among the most powerful plant poisons, and extracts of Strychnos species are commonly used. Other arrow poisons are commonly cardiac glycosides, which can be found in digitalis, but most of these arrow poisons are derived from plants in the family Apocynaceae. This family includes Calotropis gigantea and the more potent Calotropis procera. The latex of these plants has been used in Africa as an arrow poison. Apocynaceae species often contain a mixture of cardiac glycosides, including calactin, uscharin, calotoxin, and calotropin. These poisons work by inhibiting the sodium-potassium pump, and this effect is especially potent in the cardiac tissues. The cardiac effects can be applied for heart medication, and digitalis has been used as such. However, excessive doses can cause arrhythmia, which can lead to death. Calotropis is a poisonous plant. The active principles are uscharin, calotoxin, calactin, and calotropin. The leaves and stem when incised yield thick milky juice. It is used as an arrow poison, cattle poison (see also Sutari), rarely for suicide and homicide and mostly an accidental poison. The milky latex sap of Calotropis gigantea is a known cause of toxic keratoconjunctivitis and reversible vision loss. Crown flower keratitis is a rare condition and is usually the result of accidental ocular exposure to the sap. During the process of making a Hawaiian lei flower necklace, touching the sap and then touching the ocular surface may result in crown flower keratitis. Damage (poisoning) of the cornea endothelium results in corneal stromal edema and decreased visual acuity. Although there is some permanent damage to the corneal endothelium with decreased endothelial cell count and irregular shape, the remaining corneal endothelial cells usually recover with complete resolution of the corneal edema and a return to normal visual acuity. The condition is usually self-limited and resolves faster with topical steroids. The clinical course of this condition suggests that Calotropis is paradoxically relatively nontoxic to corneal epithelium and highly toxic to corneal endothelium. The painless clinical course may be related to anesthetic properties of Calotropis latex and relatively minor epithelial injury.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. They can grow in hot dry situations. They can grow in humid climates if they have very good drainage. They can tolerate salt. It can grow in arid places. In southern China it grows in woods in dry areas and along stream banks from sea level to 1,400 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 10-11.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Asia, Cambodia, Central Africa, Central America, China, East Africa, East Timor, Guianas, Guyana, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Samoa, SE Asia, Seychelles, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad-Tobago, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Indies, West Timor,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. They can also be grown from cuttings.

Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings. Layering. Seed Collecting: Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds. Some suggestions that gloves should be worn to protect hands when handling seeds.

Other Uses

Bedding Charcoal Cut flowers Dye Fibre Fuel Green manure Hedge Insecticide Mulch Soil reclamation Soil stabilization String Stuffing Tannin Teeth Waterproofing Wick Other uses rating: High (4/5). Seaside, Specimen, Large Planter, Coastal Screening, Xerophytic. Agroforestry Uses: As it thrives upon soils where nothing else will grow, needing neither culture nor water, it has been considered a good plant for bringing waste land under tillage and for reclaiming drifting sands. The leaves can be used for mulching, green manuring of rice fields and for binding sandy soil. The plant is sometimes grown as a hedge. Other Uses: A fine fibre is obtained from the bark of the stems. Very strong, it is said to possess many of the qualities of flax (Linum usitatissimum), though it is somewhat finer. It is much used for making textiles, fishing nets and bowstrings. The mature seed pods contain a large quantity of floss, which has a variety of uses. For example, it can be used to stuff pillows etc or mixed with other fibres to make cloth. It is a Kapok substitute, being very water repellent it can be used as a buoyancy aid in Life Jackets or as a stuffing material. The floss absorbs oil whilst repelling water and so has also been used to mop up oil spills at sea. Candlewicks can be made from the seed floss. The twigs are used as chewsticks for cleaning the teeth. The juice is used in making a yellow dye and in tanning. The wood is sometimes used for fuel, but it is of poor quality. However, a good quality charcoal is obtained from the wood and can be used for making gunpowder. Attractive flowers are long lasting and used for floral arrangements. May exhibit mosquito controlling properties against Culex gelidus and Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes which serves as vectors for Japanese encephalitis. Host to a variety of insects and butterflies including Hawaii's non-migratory monarch butterflies. Carbon Farming - Industrial Crop: hydrocarbon, fiber. The dogbane-milkweed family Asclepias, Apocynum, Calotropis, and Trachomitum spp) has been used for fiber industrial crops for millennia with a number in cultivation as regional crops. All of these crops are dual-purpose fibres, offering bast fibres from the stem and seed fiber or ‘floss’ in the fruit pods. Many have also been identified as potential hydrocarbon crops due to high latex content. Could be integrated into various agroforestry systems rather than as monocultures [1-1]. Special Uses Carbon Farming Coppice Food Forest Hedge

Notes

There are 3 Calotropis species. It has anticancer properties. It can be a weed.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Aank, Biduri, Indian milkweed, Kapal kapal, Kayu berduri, Kemengu, Lechoso, Pua kalaunu, Rak-dok, Rembaga, Remiga, Ruvaa, Widuri

References (15)

• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 74
• Cowie, I, 2006, A Survey of Flora and vegetation of the proposed Jaco-Tutuala-Lore National Park. Timor-Lests (East Timor) www.territorystories.nt/gov.au p 43
• Engel, D.H., & Phummai, S., 2000, A Field Guide to Tropical Plants of Asia. Timber Press. p 143
• Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 144
• Hortus kew. ed. 2, 2:78. 1811

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