World Of Botanists

14/04/2025

MCQs of the day
Low concentration of auxin helps in the formation of -------- in callus.
a. Shoot
b. Root
c. Both
d. None

03/04/2025

30/12/2024

Potato is a/an-----------
a. Underground stem
b. Root
c. Rhizom

28/03/2024

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03/09/2023

16/06/2023

Species
Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T. Aiton [Apocynaceae]

Synonyms
Asclepias procera Aiton

Feed categories
Forage plants Other forage plants
Related feed(s)
Description
Calotropis (Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T. Aiton) is a spreading shrub or medium-sized tree reaching 2.5 to 6 m in height. It has 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. The stems are crooked and covered with a fissured corky bark. The grey-green leaves are 15-30 cm long and 2.5-10 cm broad and have a succulent and waxy appearance, hence the name procera, which means wax in latin (Ecoport, 2011; Ecocrop, 2011; Orwa et al., 2009). The flowers are pentamerous, small, cream or greenish white at the base and purple violet at the extremity of the lobes. The fruit is a fleshy and inflated, up to 10 cm or more in diameter (Orwa et al., 2009; Kiew, 2001).

Calotropis procera is a multipurpose tree. The stems yield a fibre useful for making ropes, bags, nets and paper (Orwa et al., 2009). The seeds contain a white silky floss that is a potential silk replacer (Batello et al., 2004). The wood is valuable as a timber and fuel (Orwa et al., 2009; Kiew, 2001). The milky sap (latex) is renowned for its ethno-medicinal properties (Batello et al., 2004; Iqbal et al., 2005) and as a food, particularly as a coagulation agent for cheese making in West Africa (O'Connor, 1993). Calotropis yields 90 t of biomass twice a year and is a potential source of renewable energy (Parsons et al., 2001).

Calotropis is also used as fodder. Young pods, senescing leaves and flowers can be fed to goats, camels, and sheep (more rarely to cattle) in times of scarcity. The latex contains toxic components that may be harmful to livestock (see Potential Constraints on the "Nutritional aspects" tab).