Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton
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Description
Calotropis procera is an erect, much-branched evergreen shrub or small tree, usually 2–5 m tall, exuding abundant white milky latex from all parts when injured. Stems are stout, greyish-green, and covered with a waxy bloom. Leaves are opposite, sessile or subsessile, thick, leathery, broadly ovate to obovate, with entire margins, a rounded to obtuse apex, and a cordate to clasping base. Both surfaces are densely covered with a whitish waxy coating, giving the foliage a grey-green appearance. Flowers are borne in terminal or axillary umbellate cymes and are waxy, star-shaped, white to pale lilac or purple, with a characteristic crown (corona) in the center. The fruit is a large, inflated, ovoid to ellipsoid follicle that becomes green to yellowish at maturity. When ripe, it splits open to release numerous flattened brown seeds, each bearing a tuft of silky white hairs that facilitate wind dispersal.
Diagnostic Characters
Distribution
Native range: North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and tropical Asia.
In Pakistan: Widespread throughout Pakistan, and the Salt Range, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.
Phenology
Ethnobotany & Uses
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Where it grows on campus
Taxonomic Notes
Calotropis procera is readily distinguished from C. gigantea by its smaller, thicker grey-green leaves, compact habit, and relatively smaller flowers. It is one of the most characteristic shrubs of the arid and semi-arid regions of Pakistan and is highly adapted to xeric environments.