Auricula Tree, Dead Sea Apple, Sodom Apple
Calotropis procera

Family: Apocynaceae

What it is like

Auricula Tree or Calotropis procera is an erect, flowering shrub that grows up to 2-5 m tall. When fully established, it is drought-resistant and salt-tolerant. Its flowers are purple and white and the plant juice is poisonous. The stem is source of strong and durable fibre used in making ropes, bow strings, fishing nets, paper, pulp, etc. The seed capsules, on the other hand, are used as stuffing material in mattresses. The stems further produce good charcoal and is termite resistant. It is used for roofing and building hats. Mudar Gummi, a rubber material, is also obtained from Auricula tree. The broad, greyish-green leaves of auricula tree are used as a soup ingredient. It is used medicinally against asthma. Roots are poisonous and used for treating snakebites. The latex is used against ringworm and as laxative; the flower against asthma and catarrh. F

Calotropis procera is an evergreen Shrub growing to 4 m (13ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is not frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 4

Where it is found

A weed along degraded roadsides, lagoon edges and in overgrazed native pastures. It has a preference for and is often dominant in areas of abandoned cultivation, especially in sandy soils in areas of low rainfall.

Tropical Africa through Arabia to the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

Found In: Afghanistan, Africa, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, GuinŽe, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

The flower shoots are eaten young and raw. The leaves are occasionally eaten. The leaves are used for making an alcoholic drink. In Ethiopia the sap is added to milk to help it coagulate. The leaves have been used as a soup ingredient in sauces. A rather strange report - see the notes above on toxicity.

Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.

Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.

Medicine

Rating: 3

Compounds derived from the plant have been found to have emetic-cathartic and digitalic properties. The principal active compounds are asclepin and mudarin. Other compounds have been found to have bactericidal and vermicidal propertie. The root bark is an emetic. An infusion of bark powder is used in the treatment and cure of leprosy and elephantiasis. It is inadvisable to use bark that has been kept for more than a year. The extremely poisonous roots are used in the treatment of snakebites. The leaves are used for the treatment of asthma. The milky sap is used as a rubefacient and is also strongly purgative and caustic. The latex is used for treating ringworm, guinea worm blisters, scorpion stings, venereal sores and ophthalmic disorders, it is also used as a laxative. Its use in India in the treatment of skin diseases has caused severe bullous dermatitis leading sometimes to hypertrophic scars. The local effect of the latex on the conjunctiva is congestion, epiphora and local anaesthesia. The latex contains a proteolytic enzyme called caloptropaine. The flower is digestive and tonic. It is used in the treatment of asthma and catarrh. The twigs are applied for the preparation of diuretics, stomach tonic and anti-diarrhoetics and for asthma. Also used in abortion, as an anthelmintic, for colic, cough, whooping cough, dysentery, headache, lice treatment, jaundice, sore gums and mouth, toothache, sterility, swellings and ulcers.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.

Antibacterial: Kills bacteria.

Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.

Cathartic: A strong laxative but less violent than a purgative.

Digestive: Aids digestion.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Emetic: Induces vomiting.

Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.

Leprosy: Used to treat leprosy - a chronic bacterial infection of the skin and superficial nerves (in the skin) caused by Mycobacterium leprae.

Mouthwash: Treats problems such as mouth ulcers.

Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.

Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.

Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.

Rubefacient: A counter-irritant and external stimulant, it produces inflammation and redness of the skin.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.

Other

Rating: 4

Other uses rating: High (4/5). Agroforestry Uses: A source of green manure. The plant can help improve soil water conditions and also acts as a soil binder. Plants often escape from cultivation, especially when growing on sandy soils. It often self-sows freely on overgrazed land and has been used as an indicator of exhausted soil. Other Uses A strong fibre is obtained from the stem. Durable under water. White, silky, strong, cylindrical, flexible and durable stem fibre used for various purposes, such as for making ropes, to form cheap cots, gunny bags, bow strings, fishing nets, and in the manufacture of paper, pulp and duplicating stencils. Strong inner bark fibres produce a binding material and are processed into fabrics. The floss from the seed capsules is used as a stuffing material in mattresses etc. The floss from the seeds, which is about 2 - 3.5 cm long, white silky and strong, is used as an inferior stuffing for mattresses and pillows as well as for weaving into a strong cloth. The floss may also substitute cotton wool for surgical purposes. The plant is the source of a rubber-like product called Mudar Gummi. The liquid latex can be used as a renewable source of hydrocarbons and intermediate energy resources. The latex contains 11 - 23% of rubber. The latex is 80% effective in inhibiting the activity of the tobacco mosaic virus. The leafy branches are said to deter ants. A macerated bark extract can be used for dyes An ideal plant for monitoring sulphur dioxide emissions in the air. The stems are termite proof and are used for roofing and building huts. The very light wood can also be used for fishing net floats. The wood is a source of charcoal, used for making gunpowder. Stems produce a good charcoal, while the stem pith makes good tinder. The dogbane-milkweed family Asclepias, Apocynum, Calotropis, and Trachomitum spp) has been used for fiber industrial crops for millennia with a number in cultivation as regional crops. All of these crops are dual-purpose fibres, offering bast fibres from the stem and seed fiber or ‘floss’ in the fruit pods. Many have also been identified as potential hydrocarbon crops due to high latex content. Could be integrated into various agroforestry systems rather than as monocultures.

Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.

Cotton wool: Plants that can be used as substitutes for cotton wool.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Green manure: Fast-growing plants that can be used to increase the fertility of the soil.

Latex: A source of rubber.

Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.

Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.

Roofing: Used to give a waterproof roof to buildings. See also Thatching.

Soil conditioner: Plants grown to improve the structure of the soil. See also Green manures.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.

Stuffing: Used in making soft toys, mattresses, pillows etc.

Teeth: Plants used to clean and care for the teeth.

Tinder: Used for starting fires. See also Kindling.

Weaving: Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Coppice: A traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down.

How it is grown

A plant of the semi-arid tropics and subtropics, it is found growing at elevations from sea level to 1,300 metres. It grows best in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 300 - 400mm. Requires a sunny position. Prefers disturbed sandy soils. Established plants are very drought-resistant and are salt-tolerant to a relatively high degree. It has a preference for and is often dominant in areas of abandoned cultivation especially sandy soils in areas of low rainfall. When growing in sandy soils, this species has been known to escape from cultivation. The plant has spread widely from its original range and has become naturalized in many areas of the tropics and subtropics. Through its wind and animal dispersed seeds, it quickly becomes established as a weed along degraded roadsides, lagoon edges and in overgrazed native pastures. When cultivated, annual yields of up to 500 kg/ha of fibre are expected. A single harvest per season is preferable to a double (or triple) harvest; a single harvest would result in a net saving of energy input both on the farm and in the processing plant. The plant is often an indicator of overgrazed land.

Propagating it: Seed. The tree seeds freely, and natural regeneration is common. Vegetative propagation through half stumps assumes a special importance as compared with the entire stumps because they help in faster multiplication of the parent genotype with plus characters, as each plant gives rise to 2 half stumps. Stumps also help in propagating only 1 plant. Vegetative propagation through stem and root cuttings is very useful in large-scale multiplication of the superior genotypes.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

The juice of the plant is poisonous - it has been used as an infanticide in Africa. Both the bark and the latex are widely used as arrow and spear poisons. The latex is cardiotoxic with the active ingredient being calotropin. (Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction )

A serious weed in pastures and overgrazed rangelands. The species is now naturalized in Australia, many Pacific Islands, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean islands. In these parts of the world it is considered as a noxious weed and harmful to natural biodiversity.

Its other names

Local names

Auricula Tree or Calotropis procera. Common Names: auricula tree; cabbage tree; calotrope; camel tree; dead sea fruit; desert wick; French cotton; giant milkweed; Indian milkweed; mudar fibre; mudar plant; roostertree; rubber bush; rubber tree; sodom apple; Sodom's milkweed; swallow-wort. Spanish: algodon extranjero; ‡rbol de la seda; bomba; cazuela; malcascada; mata de seda; mata de seda; mudar; tula; algodon de seda. French: arbre ˆ soie; arbre a soie du Senegal; arbre de soie; boie canon; bois canon; coton soie; pomme de sodome. Arabic: dead sea plant; kisher; usar; usher. Chinese: bai hua niu jiao gua. Portuguese: algodao-de-seda; saco-de-velho. Bahamas: St. Thomas bush; wild cotton; wild down. Brazil: hortncia; saco de bode; seda. Cuba: algod—n americano; algod—n de judea; estrella de Holanda; estrella del norte. Dominican Republic: algod—n extranjero. East Africa: mpamba mwitu. Ethiopia: akalo; dinda; ghinda; ghindae; quimbo; tobiaw. Gambia: kipapa. Germany: Mudarpflanze; Mudarstrauch; Oscherstrauch. India: aak; akada; akdo; alarka; chinnajlleedu; mandara; mar; oriya; orkho; rui; sans; vellerukku. Italy: calotropo. Jamaica: dumb cotton. Lesser Antilles: bwa kannon; bwa peta; cow heel; laswa; milk bush; monkey apple; puk puk; sprain leaf. Nigeria: tumfafia. Pakistan: ak. Senegal: faftan. Somalia: boah. Sudan: usher wood. Venezuela: gallito; palo de algod—n.

Synonyms

Asclepias gigantea Jacq. Asclepias procera Aiton

Auricula Tree, Dead Sea Apple, Sodom Apple Calotropis procera