NAME: Calotropis procera

FAMILY: Apocynaceae

COMMON NAMES: Giant milk weed, sodom apple, king's crown

LOCAL NAMES: Bomubomu, Tumfatiya, Faftan

MORPHORLOGICAL DESCRIPTION: This is a flowering plant growing up to 4m or more tall. It is a shrub a deep taproot, 3-4 m deep, and a secondary root system with woody lateral roots that may rapidly regenerate adventitious shoots when the plant is injured

USEFUL PART(s): Leaves, root, bark, latex

GENERAL USES:

The leaves have been used as a soup ingredient in sauces
The stems yield a fibre useful for making ropes, bags, nets and paper
Medicinal purpose

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

North Africa, tropical Africa, Western Asia, South Asia.

WHY IS IT GREEN?

Diarrhoea,
Dysentery
Elephantiasis
Leprosy
Chronic eczema
Ringworm
Cough
Diaphoretic
Emetic
Asthma
Abortifacient
Convulsion
Antipyretic.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Calotropis extracts, chopped leaves, and latex have shown in vitro and in vivo nematicidal properties.
The milky sap of the plant is poisonous some of which are steroidal heart poisons known as "cardiac aglycones”

FUN FACT

Calotropis extracts, chopped leaves, and latex have shown in vitro and in vivo nematicidal properties

FURTHER READINGS

Chundattu, S. J., Agrawal, V. K., & Ganesh, N. (2016). Phytochemical investigation of Calotropis procera. Arabian Journal of Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2011.03.011

Hassan, L. M., Galal, T. M., Farahat, E. A., & El-Midany, M. M. (2015). The biology of Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. In Trees - Structure and Function. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1158-7

Rayanatou, I. A., Mahamadou, E. H. G., Garric, G., Harel-Oger, M., Leduc, A., Jardin, J., Briard-Bion, V., Cauty, C., Adakal, H., Grongnet, J. F., & Gaucheron, F. (2017). Physico-chemical characterization of dairy gel obtained by a proteolytic extract from Calotropis procera – A comparison with chymosin. Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.04.039