Calotropis

Osher ( Calotropis procera)

The Calotropis, rarely mentioned Kiel crowns, are a genus in the subfamily of the milkweed family ( Asclepiadoideae ) within the family of the dogbane family ( Apocynaceae ). There are three types of Calotropis.

Occurrence

The natural distribution areas are in Africa and Asia. The species are wild in many arid areas of the tropics. They thrive on roadsides, savannas and treeless landscapes low and medium altitudes.

Description

Two Calotropis species are richly branched shrubs or small trees and Calotropis acia is an erect, perennial herbaceous plant. You can reach stature heights 1-6 m. They contain white latex. The bark of the branches is smooth or hairy at first. The leaves are arranged alternately along the branches. The simple leaves are stalked at Calotropis acia, sessile in the other species. The leathery or fleshy leaf blade is 9-28 cm long and 5-15 cm wide. The leaf margins are smooth or wavy. The upper leaf surface is smooth and the lower leaf surface is hairy smooth or tomentose.

Three to 17 flowers are borne in simple or branched, complex design inflorescences. The flower stem is hairy yellow. The hermaphroditic, flowers are radial symmetry fünfzählig. The five free sepals have more than a quarter of the length of the petals are ovate and end with a point. The five green, white, cream-colored or violet petals are 10-18 mm long, ovate and fused only at the base, they are sometimes colored differently from the inside out. It's just a circle with five stamens present. Two carpels are a superior ovaries fused with two punches that have grown above, this is only a scar present. The stamens are with each other, intertwine with the petals and the two punches; Stamens and pistils form a column ( " Gynostegium "). Two carpels are fused into a superior ovaries. The scar is a pentagon.

The two dry flower follicles are formed. Calotropis procera When they together form an apple -like fruit, which has a diameter of about 70 mm and a length of 100 to 120 mm, with the other species, they are in a 180 °. Each pod contains approximately 100 to 150 seeds. The seeds have a length of 7 to 8 mm and a diameter of 4 to 5 mm. They have a 30 mm long tufts of white, silky hairs as an aircraft body.

System

A synonym for Calotropis R.Br. is Madorius O.Kuntz.

In the genus Calotropis there are three types:

• Crown flower or shrub - Madar ( Calotropis gigantea (L.) R.Br )
• Osher, Oscherstrauch or fat leaf tree ( Calotropis procera, Syn: Asclepias procera Aiton, A. gigantea Jacq, non L. ).

Pictures

Osher ( Calotropis procera):

Leaves and inflorescence with buds and blossoms.

Sodomsäpfel.

Swell

• Sigrid songs Schumann & Ulrich Meve: The Genera of Asclepiadoideae, Secamonoideae and Periplocoideae ( Apocynaceae ): Calotropis - Online. (English )
• B. Richardson: Description in the Western Australian flora. (English )
• Bingtao Li, Michael G. Gilbert & Douglas W. Stevens: Asclepiadaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 16, page 202: Calotropis - Online. (English )