Calotropis gigantea

Taxobox
name = Calotropis gigantea

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image_width = 220px
image_caption =
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Gentianales
familia = Apocynaceae
subfamilia = Asclepiadoideae
genus = "Calotropis"
species = "C. gigantea"
binomial = "Calotropis gigantea"
binomial_authority = (L.) W.T.Aiton

Calotropis gigantea (Crown flower) is a species of "Calotropis", native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and China. It is a large shrub growing to 4 m 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, elegant "crown" rising from the centre, which holds the stamens. The plant has oval, light green leaves and milky stem.

The flowers last long, and in Thailand they are used in various floral arrangements. They were also supposed to be popular with the Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani, who considered them as symbol of royalty and wore them strung into leis. In India, the plant is common in the compounds of temples. The fruit is a follicle and when dry, seed dispersal is by wind. This plant plays host to a variety of insects and butterflies.

External links

* [http://www.hear.org/pier/species/calotropis_gigantea.htm PIER - "Calotropis gigantea"]
* [http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Crown%20Flower.html Flowers of India - Crown flower]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/calotropis.html Purdue University: Center for New Crops & Plant Products - Crown flower]

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