Apocynaceae FAMILY

Calotropis procera

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

The juice of the plant is poisonous - it has been used as an infanticide in Africa[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. ]. Both the bark and the latex are widely used as arrow and spear poisons[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. The latex is cardiotoxic with the active ingredient being calotropin[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ].

Botanical Description

Calotropis procera is a large, erect shrub growing 4 metres or more tall. The plant can sometimes produce a single bole that is free of branches for up to the first 2.5 metres[ 774 Title Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel. Their Characteristics and Uses. Publication Author von Maydell H. Publisher Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit; Germany Year 1990 ISBN 3-8236-1198-4 Description A well-researched book, usually with more than one photograph of each species and good information on the plant and its uses. ]. The tree has a wide range of medicinal uses and is the source of various materials, especially fibre. It has been cultivated in South America and on the Caribbean Islands for the production of fibres[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. It is well suited for intensive energy farming in arid or semi-arid regions where frost is not a limiting factor[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. It is cultivated as a medicinal plant in China[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeTropical Africa through Arabia to the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

HabitatA weed along degraded roadsides, lagoon edges and in overgrazed native pastures[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. It has a preference for and is often dominant in areas of abandoned cultivation, especially in sandy soils in areas of low rainfall303].