Tuesday, 28 July 2026

Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton

Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton

kal-LOW-troh-pis -- Greek: kalos (beautiful); tropis (ship's keel) ... Dave's Botanary
PRO-ker-uh or pro-KER-uh -- tall ... Dave's Botanary
commonly known as: rubber bush, Sodom apple • Bengali: ছোট আকন্দ chhota akondo • Bhojpuri: अकौंन akaon • Dogri: दरियाई अक्क daryai akk, देसी अक्क desi akk, निक्का अक्क nikka akk • Gujarati: આકડો akado, નાનો આકડો nano akado, નાનો રૂઇ nano rui, રાતો આકડો rato akado • Haryanvi: आक aak, अक ak, अकड़ा akra, अणकटा ankta, मदार madar • Hindi: आक aak, अकड़ा akada, मदार madar • Kachchhi: આક aak, અક ak, આકડો akado • Kannada: ಎಕ್ಕದ ಗಿಡ ekkada gida, ಹೆಣ್ಣುಎಕ್ಕೆಯ ಗಿಡ hennu'ekkeya gida, ಕರಿ ಎಕ್ಕದ ಗಿಡ kari ekkada gida, ಕೆಂಪು ಎಕ್ಕದ ಗಿಡ kempu ekkada gida • Kol: पलती palati • Konkani: रुई rui • Kumaoni: अक ak • Malayalam: ചിറ്റെരിക്ക് chitterikku, എരിക്ക് erikku • Manipuri: ꯑꯡꯀꯣꯠ angkot • Marathi: लालमांदार lalmandar, मांदार mandar, रुई rui, तांबडाअकडा tambara-akara • Mishing: আকন-আচিং akon-asing • Nagpuri: अकौंन akaon • Nepali: बाह्रमासे आँक bahramaase aank • Nyishi: akon-asing • Odia: ଅରଖ arakha • Pahari: आक aak, अक ak, मदार madar • Punjabi: ਅੱਕ akk, ਦਰਿਆਈ ਅੱਕ daryai akk, ਦੇਸੀ ਅੱਕ desi akk, ਮਦਾਰ madar, ਨਿੱਕਾ ਅੱਕ nikka akk • Rajasthani: आंक ank, आंकडा ankada, मदार madar • Rangpuri: আকন ankon • Sanskrit: आदित्यपुष्पिका adityapushpika, अलर्क alarka, अर्क arka, आस्फोत asphota, गणरूप ganurupa, काष्ठील kashtila, मन्दार mandara, प्रताप pratapa, राजार्क rajarka, रवि ravi, सदापुष्प sadapushpa, शर्करापुष्प sharkarapushpa, शुकफल shukaphala, तूलफल tulaphala, विकीरण vikirana, वृत्तमल्लिका vrttamallika • Santali: ᱟᱠᱟᱣᱱᱟ akaona • Sindhi: اڪٽٽڙو akatatido, آڪ akk, اڪ aku • Tagin: akon-asing • Tamil: எருக்கு erukku • Telugu: ఎర్ర జిల్లేడు erra jilledu, జిల్లేడు jilledu, మందారము mandaramu, నల్ల జిల్లేడు nalla jilledu

known for / parts made use of: whole plant, roots and root bark, stem bark fibers, leaves, flowers, seed floss (pod cotton), milky latex ... compiled from the web.
botanical names: Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton ... homotypic synonyms: Asclepias procera Aiton • Madorius procerus (Aiton) Kuntze ... and more at POWO, retrieved 23 July 2026
Bibliography / etymology / notes
Links listed as references in the notes below, may not remain valid permanently. Portals / websites have a tendency to re-organize / revise their content, leading to change in URLs of pages in their site. Some sites may even close down at their own will. The bits about the languages of India mentioned below are merely some bare facts gathered from the internet; just enough to satisfy curiosity about "where" could the listed names be best prevalent in India. All English transliterated names to be taken sensu amplo.
~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
written and spoken widely, in most parts of India
rubber bush
  • Flowers of India ... (accessed: July 23, 2026)
  • Habeeb A, Ramesh S, Shanmugam R. Calotropis procera and the Pharmacological Properties of Its Aqueous Leaf Extract: A Review. - Cureus. 2024 May 15;16(5):e60354. doi: 10.7759/cureus.60354. PMID: 38883127; PMCID: PMC11178124. ... (accessed: July 23, 2026)
  • EPPO (2026) EPPO Global Database. Calotropis procera ... (accessed: July 23, 2026)
  • The name "rubber bush" is an internationally recognized common name for Calotropis procera. The moniker directly references the plant's copious, thick, milky white latex that oozes immediately from any cut stem or leaf. This latex dries into a rubbery, resilient film and contains hydrocarbons structurally similar to natural rubber. ... compiled from the web.
Sodom apple (or "apple of Sodom")
~~~~~ BENGALI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali (বাংলা) ... spoken in: West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
ছোট আকন্দ chhota akondo
  • উইকিপিডিয়া - একটি মুক্ত বিশ্বকোষ ... Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia ... (accessed: July 25, 2026)
  • ছোট chhota = small, lesser; আकন্দ akondo = Calotropis shrub. The size descriptor 'small' refers to the compact growth habit of Calotropis procera, which typically grows into a much shorter, shrubby form compared to the towering, woodier, tree-like structure of Calotropis gigantea.
~~~~~ BHOJPURI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (भोजपुरी) ... spoken in: eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Bihar and northwestern Jharkhand
अकौंन akaon
~~~~~ DOGRI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (डोगरी) ... spoken in: Jammu & Kashmir ... spoken by the Dogras
देसी अक्क desi akk
  • Many thanks to OM Prakash Vidyarthi for help with this name ... facebook
  • देसी desi = native, common, or local; अक्क akk = Calotropis shrub. The name highlights the plant's everyday abundance across the dry plains and lower foothills of the Jammu region, distinguishing this common wild shrub from its larger counterpart. ... compiled from the web.
दरियाई अक्क daryai akk, निक्का अक्क nikka akk
  • Sumeet Gairola, Jyotsana Sharma, Yashbir Singh Bedi - A cross-cultural analysis of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (India) medicinal plant use - Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 155, Issue 2, 2014, Pages 925-986, ISSN 0378-8741 ... (downloaded: Jan 29, 2022)
  • Bhatia, Harpreet & Sharma, Yash & Manhas, Rajesh & Kumar, Kewal. (2014). Traditional phytoremedies for the treatment of menstrual Disorders in district Udhampur, J & K, India. - Journal of ethnopharmacology. 10.1016/j.jep.2014.11.041. ... (downloaded: July 26, 2026)
  • दरियाई daryai = riverine; अक्क aak = Calotropis shrub. Thus translates literally to "the riverine calotrope". This unique name reflects authentic folk taxonomy; local communities in the Jammu foothills (like Kathua and Billawar) use the prefix daryai because this resilient shrub aggressively colonizes dry, gravelly riverbeds and flash-flood channels. ... compiled from the web.
  • निक्का nikka = small, little; अक्क akk = Calotropis shrub. The size descriptor 'small' refers to the compact growth habit of Calotropis procera, which typically grows into a much shorter, shrubby form compared to the towering structure of Calotropis gigantea.
~~~~~ GUJARATI ~~~~~
written in: Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) ... spoken in: Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu
આકડો akado (formal: આંકડો ankado)
નાનો આકડો nano akado, નાનો રૂઇ nano rui
  • Biological Diversity of Gujarat - published by Gujarat Ecology Commission ... (downloaded: Dec 16, 2020)
  • નટવરલાલ પુ. મહેતા, શોભન વસાણી, મ. દી. વસાવડા, સરોજા કોલાપ્પન — આકડો — ગુજરાતી વિશ્વકોશ
  • નાનો nano = small (plant smaller in size compared to that of Calotropis gigantea); આકડો akado, રૂઇ rui = these are generic names given to both species of Calotropis.
રાતો આકડો rato akado (or: આસમાની આકડો aasmaani akado, રક્ત આકડો rakt akado)
  • નટવરલાલ પુ. મહેતા, શોભન વસાણી, મ. દી. વસાવડા, સરોજા કોલાપ્પન — આકડો — ગુજરાતી વિશ્વકોશ
  • વનસ્પતીઓ ના ગુજરાતી તથા બોટનીકલ નામ ની યાદી :: સંકલન કર્તા વૈધ શ્રી કે,જે,ઝાલા ... (downloaded: 19 Jan 2026)
  • રાતો rato = red-coloured or reddish; આસમાની aasmaani = sky-coloured or bluish; રક્ત rakt = literally blood-coloured, to mean reddish; આકડો akado = name given to this Calotropis spp.
  • All colour descriptor prefixes clearly reference the pigmented petals of Calotropis procera, as opposed to the pale lilac or milk-white blossoms of its larger cousin.
~~~~~ HARYANVI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हरियाणवी or हरयाणवी) ... spoken in: Haryana, Delhi
आक aak, मदार madar
  • Haryana Forest Flora - A Comprehensive Database of Ligneous Plants of Haryana (India) ... (accessed: July 26, 2026)
  • आक aak as well as मदार madar are generic names shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
अक ak, अकड़ा akra, अणकटा ankta
  • Department of Bio Sciences, Maharshi Dayanand University (2002) - Medicinal plants of some districts of Haryana an ethnobotanical survey :: Chapter 4 - Shodhganga :: a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET ... (downloaded: Feb 9, 2022)
  • अक ak, अकड़ा akra and अणकटा ankta — all these names are generic, shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
~~~~~ HINDI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हिन्दी) ... spoken in: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
आक aak, मदार madar
अकड़ा akada
सफ़ैद आक safed aak
~~~~~ KACHCHHI ~~~~~
written in: Gujarati (કચ્છી), Sindhi (ڪڇّي) ... spoken in: Kutch region of Gujarat
આક aak, આકડો akado
  • Patel, Yatin & Patel, Rohitkumar & Pankaj, Joshi & Dabgar, Yogesh. (2011). Study of the Angiospermic flora of Kachchh district, Gujarat, India. Life Sciences Leaflets. 19. 739-768. ... (downloaded: Feb 9, 2022)
  • આક aak as well as આકડો akado are generic names shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
અક ak
  • કચ્છ સ્વસ્થાન ની વનસ્પતિઓ ઠાકર જયકૃષ્ણ ઇન્દ્રજી 1926 [PLANTS OF CUTCH AND THEIR UTILITY by THAKAR, JAIKRISHNA INDRAJI, 1926]
  • અક ak is a generic name shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
~~~~~ KANNADA ~~~~~
written in: Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) ... spoken in: Karnataka
ಎಕ್ಕದ ಗಿಡ ekkada gida
  • Parimala, R & Hegde, G R (2011) - Flora of Dharwad district - Part 1 :: Chapter 1 :: Shodhganga :: a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
  • ಎಕ್ಕದ ಗಿಡ ekkada gida is a generic name shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
ಹೆಣ್ಣುಎಕ್ಕೆಯ ಗಿಡ hennu'ekkeya gida
  • Kittel, Ferdinand. Kittel's Kannada-English dictionary. Rev. and enl. ed. [Madras] University of Madras, 1968-1971.
  • ಹೆಣ್ಣು hennu = lady, female; ಎಕ್ಕೆಯ ಗಿಡ ekkeya gida = Calotropis shrub. Thus, the name literally means "female plant of Calotropis" which traditionally implies that the larger, more robust Calotropis gigantea is viewed as the male counterpart (ಗಂಡು ಎಕ್ಕೆ gandu ekke) in local folk taxonomy.
ಕರಿ ಎಕ್ಕದ ಗಿಡ kari ekkada gida
  • Katrahalli, Kotresha & Kambhar, Sidanand & Harihar, N. (2011). FLORISTIC COMPOSITION OF WOODY SPECIES IN KARNATAK COLLEGE, DHARWAD (KCD), KARNATAKA, INDIA. Life sciences Leaflets. 18. 656 –669. ... (downloaded: Nov 25, 2024)
  • ಕರಿ kari = black, dark-coloured; ಎಕ್ಕದ ಗಿಡ ekkada gida = Calotropis shrub. The descriptor 'dark-coloured' refers to the petals of Calotropis procera, which feature a deep, dark hue in stark contrast to the pale lilac or milk-white blossoms of Calotropis gigantea.
ಕೆಂಪು ಎಕ್ಕದ ಗಿಡ kempu ekkada gida
ಬಿಳಿ ಎಕ್ಕ bili ekka
~~~~~ KOL ~~~~~
written in: Warang Chiti (or Barang Kshiti, Varang Kshiti), Devanagari ... spoken in: Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal ... spoken by: Kol people
पलती palati (or पल्टी palti)
~~~~~ KONKANI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (कोंकणी) / Kannada (ಕೊಂಕಣಿ) / Malayalam (കൊങ്കണി) / Perso-Arabic (کونکنی) / Romi (Konknni) ... spoken in: Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat
रुई rui
  • V D Vartak (1966) - Enumeration of plants from Gomantak India with a note on botanical excursions to the Castlerock area :: Chapter 5 :: Shodhganga :: a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
  • रुई rui is a generic name shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
~~~~~ KUMAONI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari ... spoken in: Uttarakhand
अक ak
  • Osmaston, A. E. 1927. A Forest Flora for Kumaon. Govt. Press, Allahabad.
  • अक ak is a generic name shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
~~~~~ MALAYALAM ~~~~~
written in: Malayalam (മലയാളം) ... spoken in: Kerala, Lakshadweep
ചിറ്റെരിക്ക് chitterikku
എരിക്ക് erikku
  • FRLHT's ENVIS Centre on Medicinal Plants ... (accessed: July 24, 2026)
  • എരിക്ക് erikku is a generic name shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
~~~~~ MANIPURI ~~~~~
written in: Meiteilon (ꯃꯩꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ), Bengali-Assamese ... spoken in: Manipur ... other names for this language: Meetei
ꯑꯡꯀꯣꯠ angkot (formal: ꯑꯡꯒꯣꯠ anggot)
~~~~~ MARATHI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (मराठी) ... spoken in: Maharashtra, Karnataka
लालमांदार lalmandar, तांबडाअकडा tambara-akara
  • The Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society Vol II (1887)
  • लाल lal = red or reddish; मांदार mandar = Calotropis shrub. The colour descriptor refers to the petals of Calotropis procera, which feature reddish hue in stark contrast to the pale lilac or milk-white blossoms of Calotropis gigantea.
  • तांबडा tambara = red or reddish; अकडा akara = Calotropis shrub. The colour descriptor refers to the petals of Calotropis procera, which feature reddish hue in stark contrast to the pale lilac or milk-white blossoms of Calotropis gigantea.
मांदार mandar (colloquial: मंदार mandar), रुई rui
  • FRLHT's ENVIS Centre on Medicinal Plants ... (accessed: July 24, 2026)
  • डॉ मल्हार विनायक आपटे — वनश्रीसृष्टी खंड १ — महाराष्ट्र राज्य साहित्य आणि संस्कृती मंडळ ... (downloaded: Sep 16, 2016)
  • मांदार mandar as well as रुई rui are generic names shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
~~~~~ MISHING ~~~~~
written in: Latin, Assamese, Devanagari ... spoken in: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh ... other names for this language: Mising, Plains Miri
আকন-আচিং akon-asing
  • U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, R N De - Flora of Assam - Vol III
  • আকন akon (formal: আকণ akon) = name borrowed from the Assamese for Calotropis; আচিং asing = tree or woody shrub in the Tani/Mishing language. ... compiled from the web.
~~~~~ NAGPURI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (नागपुरी), Kaithi (historically) ... spoken in: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha ... spoken by: Nagpuria people, also Nagpuri or Sadan ... other names for this language: Sadri, Sadani
अकौंन akaon
~~~~~ NEPALI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (नेपाली) ... spoken in: Nepal, West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir
बाह्रमासे आँक bahramaase aank
  • Many thanks to Saroj Kumar Kasaju for help with this name ... eFloraofIndia
  • बाह्रमासे bahramaase = all of twelve months, entire year; आँक aank = Calotropis shrub. Refers to flowering-fruiting all-round the year.
सेतो आँक seto aank
~~~~~ NYISHI ~~~~~
written in: Latin ... spoken in: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam ... spoken by the Daffla (or Dafla) tribe, now known as Nyishi tribe ... other names for this language: Nishi, Nisi, Nishang, Nissi, Nyising, Leil, Aya, Akang, Bangni-Bangru, Solung
akon-asing
~~~~~ ODIA ~~~~~
written in: Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ) ... spoken in: Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
ଅରଖ arakha
ଧଳା ଅରଖ dhala arakha
~~~~~ PAHARI (or PAHADI) ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (पहाड़ी), Perso-Arabic (پہاڑی) ... variety of languages, dialects and language groups, spoken in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand
आक aak, अक ak, मदार madar
  • Green Audit Report — Swami Vivekanand Government College, Ghumarwin, District Bilaspur (H.P.) ... (accessed: July 26, 2026)
  • आक aak, अक ak and मदार madar — all the names are generic, shared by both species of Calotropis.
सफेद आक safed aak
  • Green Audit Report — Swami Vivekanand Government College, Ghumarwin, District Bilaspur (H.P.) ... (accessed: July 26, 2026)
~~~~~ PUNJABI ~~~~~
written in: Gurmukhi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ) ... spoken in: Punjab
ਅੱਕ akk, ਮਦਾਰ madar
  • Bamber, Charles James - Plants of the Punjab : a descriptive key to the flora of the Punjab, North-west Frontier Province, and Kashmir, the names of plants listed in this book are a mix of Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu ... (downloaded: Jan 7, 2023)
  • ਅੱਕ akk as well as ਮਦਾਰ madar are generic names shared by both species of Calotropis in Punjab. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
ਦਰਿਆਈ ਅੱਕ daryai akk, ਨਿੱਕਾ ਅੱਕ nikka akk
  • these names prevalent in Jammu
  • Sumeet Gairola, Jyotsana Sharma, Yashbir Singh Bedi - A cross-cultural analysis of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (India) medicinal plant use - Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 155, Issue 2, 2014, Pages 925-986, ISSN 0378-8741 ... (downloaded: Jan 29, 2022)
  • Bhatia, Harpreet & Sharma, Yash & Manhas, Rajesh & Kumar, Kewal. (2014). Traditional phytoremedies for the treatment of menstrual Disorders in district Udhampur, J & K, India. - Journal of ethnopharmacology. 10.1016/j.jep.2014.11.041. ... (downloaded: July 26, 2026)
  • ਦਰਿਆਈ daryai = riverine; ਅੱਕ aak = Calotropis shrub. Thus translates literally to "the riverine calotrope". This unique name reflects authentic folk taxonomy; local communities in the Jammu foothills (like Kathua and Billawar) use the prefix daryai because this resilient shrub aggressively colonizes dry, gravelly riverbeds and flash-flood channels. ... compiled from the web.
  • ਨਿੱਕਾ nikka = small, little; ਅੱਕ akk = Calotropis shrub. The size descriptor 'small' refers to the compact growth habit of Calotropis procera, which typically grows into a much shorter, shrubby form compared to the towering structure of Calotropis gigantea.
ਦੇਸੀ ਅੱਕ desi akk
  • Rawat, Laxmi & Manhas, Rajesh & Kholiya, Deepak & Kamboj, Sushil. (2013). Floristic Diversity of Kandi Region of Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India. - Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 1. 49-54. 10.12691/aees-1-4-3. ... (downloaded: July 25, 2026)
  • ਦੇਸੀ desi = native, common, or local; ਅੱਕ akk = Calotropis shrub. Named so, because this wild, native shrub Calotropis procera populates almost every roadside, pasture, and dry canal embankment across the plains of Punjab. ... compiled from the web.
~~~~~ RAJASTHANI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (राजस्थानी) ... spoken in: Rajasthan
आंक ank (or आक aak, अक ak), आंकडा ankada (or आकडा aakda)
मदार madar
  • Tripathi, Yogesh & Prabhu, V.V. & Pal, R.S. & Mishra, R.N.. (1996). Medicinal Plants of Rajasthan in Indian System of Medicine. Ancient Science of Life. 15. 190-212.
  • मदार madar — a generic baseline name shared by both species of Calotropis across the eastern and southern belts of Rajasthan. It functions as a prominent regional loan word from neighboring Hindi dialects. ... compiled from the web.
~~~~~ RANGPURI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali-Assamese (রংপুরী, কোচ-ৰাজবংশী, দেশী), Devanagari (रंगपुरी) ... spoken in: Bangladesh, north Bengal, lower Assam ... other names for this language: Anchalit, Bahe, Deshi, Koch-Rajbongshi
আকন ankon
~~~~~ SANSKRIT ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (संस्कृतम्) ... used all over India by priests and scholars
आदित्यपुष्पिका adityapushpika, अलर्क alarka, अर्क arka, आस्फोत asphota, गणरूप ganurupa, काष्ठील kashtila, मन्दार mandara, प्रताप pratapa, राजार्क rajarka, रवि ravi, सदापुष्प sadapushpa, शर्करापुष्प sharkarapushpa, शुकफल shukaphala, तूलफल tulaphala, विकीरण vikirana, वृत्तमल्लिका vrttamallika
श्वेतार्क shvetarka
~~~~~ SANTALI ~~~~~
written in: Ol Chiki (ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤ), Bengali (সাঁওতালী), Odia (ସାନ୍ତାଳୀ), Devanagari (सान्ताली), Roman ... spoken in: Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha
ᱟᱠᱟᱣᱱᱟ akaona (colloquial: ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ akana)
~~~~~ SINDHI ~~~~~
written in: Perso-Arabic (سِنڌِي), Gujarati (સિંધી), Devanagari (सिन्धी) ... spoken in: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
اڪٽٽڙو akatatido, اڪ aku
آڪ akk
~~~~~ TAGIN ~~~~~
written in: Roman ... spoken in: Arunachal Pradesh ... other names for this language: West Dafla, Bangni ... spoken by: Tagin people or Ghasi Miri people
akon-asing
~~~~~ TAMIL ~~~~~
written in: Tamil (தமிழ்) ... spoken in: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
எருக்கு erukku
  • எருக்கு erukku functions strictly as a broad, generic baseline name shared by the entire genus in Tamil literature. No unique, independent folk names exist for Calotropis procera in conversational Tamil.
  • A major point of confusion across digital botanical databases is the reckless labeling of வெள்ளெருக்கு vellerukku under C. procera. A critical 2019 audit by the Botanical Survey of India settled this trap, clarifying that Vellerukku belongs exclusively to the "white-flowered Calotropis gigantea". Because Calotropis procera is an arid-desert specialist, it cannot survive the humid monsoonal climate of the South and hasn't been collected in Tamil Nadu since 1959. Consequently, local folk vocabulary never developed specific modifiers for it, and any modern web index listing specific Tamil terms for this species is a clear example of error propagation. ... compiled from the web.
  • S., Arumugam & Krishnachandran, Sampath Kumar & Kathiresan, K. & Murugan, C.. (2019). ON THE OCCURRENCE OF CALOTROPIS PROCERA IN TAMIL NADU AND THE APPLICATION OF LOCAL NAME VELLERUKKU. ... (accessed: July 26, 2026)
வெள்ளெருக்கு vellerukku
~~~~~ TELUGU ~~~~~
written in: Telugu ( తెలుగు) ... spoken in: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry
ఎర్ర జిల్లేడు erra jilledu, జిల్లేడు jilledu, మందారము mandaramu, నల్ల జిల్లేడు nalla jilledu
  • Flora Andhrika - Plant Wealth of Andhra Pradesh, India ... (accessed: July 25, 2026)
  • జిల్లేడు jilledu as well as మందారము mandaramu are generic names shared by both species of Calotropis. In the field, local communities differentiate them by applying specific size and colour prefixes.
  • ఎర్ర erra = red or reddish; నల్ల nalla = dark-coloured; జిల్లేడు jilledu = Calotropis shrub. The colour descriptors — "ఎర్ర erra" and "నల్ల nalla" refer to the petals of Calotropis procera, which feature deep, dark hue in stark contrast to the pale lilac or milk-white blossoms of Calotropis gigantea.
~~~~~ KNOWN DISTRIBUTION in INDIA ~~~~~
throughout the mainland
naturalised in the Lakshadweep islands, absent / highly restricted presence in the Andaman and Nicobar islands
  • compiled from the web
WEB-TANGLED NAMES
A significant challenge when researching and gathering regional names for Calotropis procera online is the widespread mislabeling across digital databases. Many registries attach prefixes that describe a plant with "white-coloured flowers" — such as the Hindi Safed; Kannada Bili; Nepali Seto; Odia Dhala; Pahari Safed; Sanskrit Shweta; and Tamil Vel — which are traits properly reserved for its larger cousin, Calotropis gigantea. In truth, only prefixes denoting dark hues like reddish, pink, or purple correctly identify Calotropis procera.
Online indices have indifferently assigned Tamil names like Vellerukku to Calotropis procera. However, a definitive audit by the Botanical Survey of India confirmed that C. procera has not been collected in Tamil Nadu since 1959 and is now considered locally extinct. Because it cannot survive the humid monsoonal South, no native Tamil folk vocabulary ever developed unique modifiers for it. ... compiled from the web.
While traditional folk taxonomy cleanly differentiates the two species based on pale versus dark floral colours, it is worth noting that the rare white-flowered colour morphs of Calotropis procera too, can occasionally occur in nature due to local genetic variations.
~~~~~ Created on: 11:43 23-07-2026 ¦ Last updated: 12:51 28-07-2026 (DD-MM-YYYY) ~~~~~
Apocynaceae Asclepiadoideae Asclepiadaceae shrub "Calotropis procera" "Asclepias procera" "Madorius procerus" "rubber bush" "Sodom apple"
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