Herbarium JCB

Calotropis gigantea (L.) R.Br.

Family : ASCLEPIADACEAE
(MILKWEED FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Apocynaceae
Species : Calotropis gigantea
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Calotropis gigantea (L.) Dryand.
Common name : Giant Milk-Weed, Giant Swallow wort, Madar Plant
Vernacular name : Mudar, Akoa, Ak, Akond, Akona (Hin.); Ekkada gida (Kan.); Erukku, Arkkam, Yerikan, Yerukku (Tam.); Tella jilledu, Racha jilledu, Jilledu (Tel.); Arko, Urak, Akand (Ori.); Arka (San.)
Key identification features : A perennial shrub with milky latex and simple leaves in opposite pairs. Flowers 4 cm across and showy. Fruit is a pair of follicles with innumerable seeds having white long silky hairs at one end.
Habit : Shrub
Flower, Fruit : Throughout the Year
Comments : Occasional on plains to 1000 m, by wayside, in wastelands. A ready colonizer by roads.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Throughout Eastern Ghats
World Distribution : India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal, Tropical Himalaya, Malaysia, China
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2011 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 4; J.L.Ellis, 1990- Flora of Nallamalais Vol. 2; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1995- Flora of Orissa Vol. 2 ; R. S. Rao et al., 1986 - Flora of West Godavari District; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa; N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Calotropis gigantea. Downloaded on 30 June 2024.