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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, Bark, Flowers, Leaf, Latex.

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 Ekka, Ekkagida
Hindi Ak, Akada, Safed-ak
Malayalam Erikku
Tamil Vellaerukku
Telugu Nallajelledu, Mandaramu
Marathi NA
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit Swetarka, Arka, Ravi
English Madar


Habit

Large shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
milky white sap large, relatively thick (5-30 cm long and 4-15 cm wide) The leaves greyish-green in colour and have entire margins

.[3]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
borne in clusters 15-25 mm across white or pinkish five Flowering occurs mostly during winter.

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
large 6-12 cm long and 3-7 cm wide These fruit have thick and spongy skins which split open at maturity numerous brown, flattened seeds {{{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

  1. "bimbima"
  2. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named chemical composition
  3. "queenland govt"
  4. "trophical plants"

External Links