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Calotropis gigantea


Calotropis gigantea
Photo Information
Copyright: Nirmal Roberts (nirmalroberts) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 345 W: 64 N: 705] (2857)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-20
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S6500fd, Fujinon f=6.2-66.7(28-300)mm 1:2.8-4.9, Marumi 58mm UV Haze
Exposure: f/8, 1/450 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-04-21 0:31
Viewed: 6717
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Calotropis gigantea.
Common names: Giant Milkweed, Crown Flower, Swallow Wort.
Common Hindi names: Aak, Alarkh, Madar, Sveta Arka.
Plant: 2.4-3m.
Flower: 5.1cm across.
One of the two common species of Calotropis, native to India. The other being Calotropis procera (Rakta Arka).
Calotropis grows wild up to 900 meters throughout the country on a variety of soils in different climates, sometimes where nothing else grows.
Calotropis is used as a traditional medicinal plant with unique properties. Traditionally Calotropis is used alone or with other medicinals to treat common disease such as fevers, rheumatism, indigestion, cough, cold, eczema, asthma, elephantiasis, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. According to Ayurveda, dried whole plant is a good tonic, expectorant, depurative, and anthelmintic. The dried root bark is a substitute for ipecacuanha. The root bark is febrifuge, anthelmintic, depurative, expectorant, and laxative. The powdered root used in asthama, bronchitis, and dyspepsia. The leaves are useful in the treatment of paralysis, arthralegia, swellings, and intermittent fevers. The flowers are bitter, digestive, astringent, stomachic, anthelmintic, and tonic. Calotropis is also a reputed Homoeopathic drug.
Calotropis yields a durable fiber (commercially known as Bowstring of India) useful for ropes, carpets, fishing nets, and sewing thread. Floss, obtained from seeds, is used for stuffing purposes. Fermented mixture of Calotropis and salt is used to remove the hair from goat skins for production of "nari leather" and of sheep skins to make leather which is much used for inexpensive book-binding. Fungicidal and insecticidal properties of Calotropis have been reported.
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Critiques [Translate]

nice to see the close up, in Israel we have only one shrub in Ein Gedi tropical botanical garden. TFS Ori

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2008-04-21 4:23]

Hi Nirmal,welcome back! Very nice presentation of this unknown for me flower,excellent quality of white,not easy to take so perfectly,my best compliments,Luciano

Hi Nirmal,
An interesting looking plant....quite strange how thick and "meaty" the petals of the flowers are.Good control of the exposure.....take care my friend.
Regards, David

Hello Nirmal,

These one looking good, flowers are razor sharp with lots of details.
The white flowers are good exposed.

Regards Gert

Hi Nirmal, glad to see you back with a very good clean and sharp image. great colouration and fine composition.

Hello Nirmal,

An excellent image of these very unusual flowers, very interesting plant, good note.

Thanks,
John

  • Great 
  • sayat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 280 W: 0 N: 258] (1457)
  • [2008-05-08 4:01]

Great details of these beautiful flowers. I like a lot the way you captured them under rather hard light conditions. The shadows on the leaves are great too.

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