Calotropis gigantea

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Calotropis gigantea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Calotropis
Species:	C. gigantea
Binomial name
Calotropis gigantea (L.) Dryand.
Synonyms[1]
Asclepias gigantea L. Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br. ex Schult. Madorius giganteus (L.) Kuntze Periploca cochinchinensis Lour. Streptocaulon cochinchinense (Lour.) G. Don

Follicle

Seeds set to disperse

Calotropis gigantea, the crown flower, is a species of Calotropis native to Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, China, Pakistan, and Nepal.^[2]

It is a large shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall. It has clusters of waxy flowers that are either white or lavender in colour. Each flower consists of five pointed petals and a small "crown" rising from the center which holds the stamens. The aestivation found in calotropis is valvate i.e. sepals or petals in a whorl just touch one another at the margin, without overlapping. The plant has oval, light green leaves and milky stem. The latex of Calotropis gigantea contains cardiac glycosides, fatty acids, and calcium oxalate. The roots also contain Calotropone.^[3]