Abstract
Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand. (commonly known as the apple of sodom, calotrope, and giant milkweed) is an evergreen, perennial shrub of the family Apocynaceae, mainly found in arid and semi-arid regions. It is a multipurpose plant, which can be utilized for medicine, fodder, and fuel purposes, timber and fiber production, phytoremediation, and synthesis of nanoparticles. It has been widely used in traditional medicinal systems across North Africa, Middle East Asia, and South-East Asia. At present, it is being extensively explored for its potential pharmacological applications. Several reports also suggest its prospects in the food, textile, and paper industries. Besides, C. procera has also been acknowledged as an ornamental species. High pharmacological potential and socio-economic value have led to the pantropical introduction of the plant. Morpho-physiological adaptations and the ability to tolerate various abiotic stresses enabled its naturalization beyond the introduced areas. Now, it is recognized as an obnoxious environmental weed in several parts of the world. Its unnatural expansion has been witnessed in the regions of South America, the Caribbean Islands, Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico, Seychelles, and several Pacific Islands. In Australia, nearly 3.7 million hectares of drier areas, including rangelands and Savannahs, have been invaded by the plant. In this review, multiple aspects of C. procera have been discussed including its general characteristics, current and potential uses, and invasive tendencies. The objectives of this review are a) to compile the information available in the literature on C. procera, to make it accessible for future research, b) to enlist together its potential applications being investigated in different fields, and c) to acknowledge C. procera as an emerging invasive species of arid and semi-arid regions.
Highlights
Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand. is a soft-wooded, perennial shrub of the family Apocynaceae and subfamily Asclepiadaceae
Overview of Calotropis procera to the cuticular wax present on its leaves and stem (Hassan et al, 2015). It is known by various common names such as apple of sodom, calotrope, giant milkweed, Indian milkweed, wild cotton, rubber tree, ushar, etc., in different parts of the world
Owing to its spread in new and larger areas, and adverse effects on the native ecosystems, C. procera has been declared as an invasive species in several regions of the world
Summary
Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand. is a soft-wooded, perennial shrub of the family Apocynaceae and subfamily Asclepiadaceae (the milkweed family). Multiple aspects of C. procera have been discussed to bring together the information available on the plant in the literature, identify its potential applications, acknowledge it as an emerging invasive species, and emphasize the knowledge gaps in ongoing research.
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