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Calotropis gigantea - Arka plant

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Sadapushpa, Mandara, Calotropis flower

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 color. 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.

Uses

Rheumatism, painful joints, Skin blemishes, Leucoderma, vitiligo, Piles, Pain in ears[1]

Parts Used

Root tubers.

Chemical Composition

Atisine, Aconitine, Atisenol, Atidine, Hetisine, Hetisinone, Banzolheteratisine, Histidine, F-dihydroatisine, Heteratisine and Several diterpene alkaloids such aheterophyllin, heterophyllisin, heterophyllidine, and hetidine.[2]

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada Ativisa
Hindi Atis
Malayalam Ativisam
Tamil Atividyam
Telugu Ati visa
Marathi NA
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit Ativisha
English Indian Atees


Habit

Large shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
glabrous sessile The leaves are variable in shape and size

.[3]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
Unisexual 2-4cm long white–violet 10-18 Flowers are Large, hooded and occur in slender racemes or lax leafy panicles. Corolla is hairy. Carpels are five in number

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
7–10 mm (0.28–0.4 in.) long pome s {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering.

How to plant/cultivate

Succeeds in the drier tropics. Most commonly found in areas of the tropics with a specific dry season, at elevations up to 1,000 metres[4]

Commonly seen growing in areas

western Himalayas, open woodland, moisty soil area.

Photo Gallery

References

External Links