Local Name: Akanda.
Synonyms: Chhoto akand, Shet akand.
Scientific Name: Calotropis procera (Aiton).
Family: Asclepiadaceae.
Duration: Pernnial.
Growth Habit: Shrub.
Taxonomic Hierarchy:
| Kingdom | Plantae – Plants |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta – Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta – Seed plants |
| Division | Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants |
| Class | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Subclass | Asteridae |
| Order | Gentianales |
| Family | Asclepiadaceae – Milkweed family |
| Genus | Calotropis R. Br. – calotropis |
| Species | Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton – roostertree |
Images of the Plant part:
Figure: Akanda(Calotropis procera (Aiton))
Plant Descrition:
An erect shrub, up to 2.4 m high; bark soft, corky, spongy, much branched at the base. Leaves sub-sessile, usually 5.7-15 cm long, broadly ovate, ovate-oblong, elliptic or obovate. Flowers white, in umbellate cymes. Follicles 7.5-10 cm long, subglobose, ellipsoid or ovoid.
Chemical constituents:
Various parts of the plant contain cardenolide glycosides, calotropin, calotoxin, uscharin and uscharidin, and a base, choline. Root bark contains alkaloids, benzoyllineolone and bezoylisolineolone. Extract of the plant also contains sterols, triterpenes, uzarigenin, syriogenin, proceroside, calotropagenin, and six of its glucosides.
Used Plant part:
Generally root, root bark, leaves and flowers are used. But the root bark is used for dog bite.
Common use of the plant:
- Dog bite.
- Hargila
- Chest and back pain due to cold.
- Dyspepsia
- Guinea worms .
- Flatulence
- Constipation
Local Use of the study:
- Dog bite.
Diagnosis of the disease:
The dog is bitten on the patient. The dog bitten area looks red and make trauma.
Preparation:
Sap is formed by root bark.
Treatment:
Sap is applied to dog bitten area.
