In plain language, what is calotropis?
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Calotropis gigantea, commonly known as Crown flower, is a species of flowering plants, which is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and China. This large shrub, which looks like a small tree, sports clusters of waxy flowers that are either white or lavender in colour. Each flower consists of five pointed petals and a small, elegant "crown" rising from the centre, which holds the stamens. The plant has oval, light green leaves and milky stem.
Calotropis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Calotropis gigantea
aka - Apple of Sodom or Aak
"Calotropis is a genus of plants that produce milky sap. It is considered a common weed in some parts of the world. The plant is known as aak in Ayurveda. The latex [from leaves] is said to have a mercury like effects on the human body, and is some times referred to as vegetable mercury and is used in place of mercury in aphrodisiacs. It is used variously but sometimes leaves are fried in oil for medicinal purposes.
"Root bark has Digitalis like effect on the heart [controlling irregular heartbeat], but was earlier used as a substitute of ipecacuanha. [as an emetic - to make one throw up]
"It is a poisonous plant, calotropin- a compound in the latex is more toxic than stychnine [sic - strychnine]. Extracts of flower of Calotropis has shown a strong cytotoxic [cell killing] activity in the patients of colorectal cancer."
I've edited a little for simplicity. But it is bad stuff - leave it alone. It can make you sick...or dead.
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