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Calotropis procera

(Aiton) W.T.Aiton (1811)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Gentianales Family: Apocynaceae Genus: Calotropis

purple crownflower, small crownflower

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or small trees to 6 m tall, erect, canescent.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades ovate to obovate, 10–30 × 5–15 cm. Apex abruptly pointed. Base cordate. Surfaces grayish green or hoary white. Margins entire. Petioles very short. Stipules present, possibly only in seedlings, up to 1mm long.

Flowers: Flowers in cymes umbel-like, 3–10–flowered, finely woolly; peduncle 2–5.5 cm. pedicel 1.5–2.5 cm. Flowers bisexual (perfect), 5-merous, actinomorphic. Calyx 5-parted, sepals elliptic or ovate, ca. 5 × 3 mm, with basal glands. Flower buds subglobose. Corolla white outside, pinkish inside, 1.5–2 cm in diam.; lobes with purple–brown apices, broadly ovate or ovate–triangular, 7–10 × 6–10 mm, spreading. corona lobes 5, as long as gynostegium, fleshy, laterally compressed, apex with a tubercle on each side, with spur. Stamens 5; filaments connate; anther appendages incurved. Pollinia 2 per pollinarium, oblong, pendulous. Ovary superior; styles long; stigma head slightly convex.

Fruit: Follicles subglobose to obliquely ovoid; inflated; 6–10 × 3–7 cm; pericarp thick; spongy. Seeds ca. 6 × 4 mm; coma 3.5–5 cm.

Ploidy: 2n = 22

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Potentially naturalizing
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean
Wind

Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Hortus Kew. 2: 78 (1811)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:238 (H? [reported escaping by Keāhole Airport]); Staples & Herbst 2005:141 (DESCR); Wood & LeGrande 2006:19 (NEWNAT/Le); Wood 2006:15 (K); Oppenheimer 2008:23 (L); Parker & Parsons 2012a:56 (H); Starr & Starr 2012:87 (EM, WM, Ka, C. gigantea misapplied, in part = C. procera)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Calotropis procera East Maui, Kihei, above (mauka) Kihei High tech Center, mauka side of gate In recently disturbed area to make culvert. Associated vegetation: Cenchrus ciliaris, Prosopis pallida, unknown Asteraceae. Preserved_Specimen Erect shrub 1-2m ht; flowers white w. purple; leaves opposite, waxy pubescence; sap sticky white. Starr, F. 105032 Maui BISH 2001-03-03
2 Calotropis procera Southwest of Kahului. Growing in sandy soil in kiawe savannah. Preserved_Specimen These plants are prolifically fertile and spreading by seed. Hobdy, R.W. 4193 Maui BISH 2004-06-17
3 Calotropis procera N of Makaiwa Sparingly naturalized in sandy soil. Preserved_Specimen Flowers purple. Oppenheimer, H.L. 10705 Lanai BISH 2007-01-04
4 Calotropis procera W Maui, Wailuku District,Kahului Disturbed lowlands. Abandoned sugar cane field. Associated vegetation: kiawe, `Ilima, Pluchea odorata, `uhaloa. Preserved_Specimen Erect, perennial shrub >2m ht; lvs furry, exudes white sap if broken; flowers purple; fruit splitting down one end, >10cm long, w. seeds that have pappus-like appendage. Starr, F. 107011 Maui BISH 2001-07-01
5 Calotropis procera Niu Valley, between 280 Halemaumau St. and Niu Valley Intermediate School Preserved_Specimen Plant up to 8 ft. tall. Flowers up to 1 inch in diameter; corolla lobes erect, lavender. Fruit 4-5 inches long, 2.5-2.75 inches diameter. Seeds on central column in fruit. Silky parachute seed dispersal. Boynton, J. 1 Oahu BISH 2003-11-01
6 Calotropis procera Kona Acres Subdivision, N Kona District Naturalized. Growing in vacant lot. Associates: Buddleja asiatica, Dodonaea viscosa, Leucaena leucocephala, Pennisetum setaceum. Preserved_Specimen Flowering specimen around 4ft tall . Flowers white corolla, purple center. Parker, J. 97 Hawaii BISH 2009-08-12
7 Calotropis procera Puu Moiwi, along K-1. Side of road. Side of road. Scattered in area. Naturalized. Open hardpan with scattered plants, especially grasses (Heteropogon contortus, Cenchrus ciliaris). Preserved_Specimen Plant was 2 m tall. Starr, F. 10122801 Kahoolawe BISH 2010-12-28
8 Calotropis procera Kekaha, off of Kekaha road, also excessible from side road off of Kala Road. Many naturalized in empty lot next to the old sugar mill Naturalized in empty lot - throughout Kekaha. Preserved_Specimen Shrubs to small trees up to 7 ft tall. White sap. Small fls. Puffy balloon like frt w/ fine silky long hairs and seeds inside. Tangalin, N. 1397 Kauai BISH 2007-06-06
9 Calotropis procera Hawaiian Islands; Lehua inner crescent, Panicum torridum-Chenopodium murale-Ageratum conyzoides association adjacent to Portulaca oleracea, Jacquemontia ovalifolia, and Sicyos maximowiczii Preserved_Specimen tree, 2 m tall, trunk tan-brown with textured bark, leaves and stems glaucus green, corolla with purple lobes, single plant on islet along steem lower central inner crescent Wood, K.R. 11345 Lehua Rock BISH 2005-05-14
10 Calotropis procera Niu Valley, between 280 Halemaumau St. and Niu Valley Intermediate School Preserved_Specimen Single volunteer plant to 8 ft. tall, branching from base. Flowers up to 1 inch in diameter; corolla lobes erect, lavender. Fruit 4-5 inches long, 2.5-2.75 inches diameter. Seeds on central column in fruit. Silky parachute seed dispersal. Boynton, J. 1 Oahu BISH 2003-11-01
11 Calotropis procera Waipio Peninsula, 1/4 mi N of Walkers Bay Preserved_Specimen 10' tall Stormont, B. Oahu BISH 1986-07-28
12 Calotropis procera Koloa, Poipu, NTBG, Visitor's Center Preserved_Specimen 7' shrub, spindly; stems fissured, corky; leaves ~glossy, dark green, grayish overtone, below silvery hairs; tepals white lower half, dark violet above; fruit inflated, pale green, glaucous overlay Flynn, T.W. 7325 Kauai BISH 2007-07-25
13 Calotropis procera Honolulu. Planted in Catto Swezey's Garden Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 7146 Oahu BISH 1931-03-03
14 Calotropis procera Waipio Peninsula, 1/4 miles north of Walker's Bay Preserved_Specimen Single plant, 10 feet tall. Stormont, B. Hawaii BISH 1986-07-28
15 Calotropis procera Honolulu; Manoa Preserved_Specimen Swezey, O.H. Oahu BISH 1934-06-01
16 Calotropis procera Honolulu; Manoa Preserved_Specimen Swezey, O.H. Oahu BISH 1934-06-01
17 Calotropis procera Honolulu: Manoa Valley; O.H. Swezey's yard Preserved_Specimen Swezey, O.H. Oahu BISH 1930-08-25
18 Calotropis procera West Maui, Wailuku District, Kahului, W of Kuihelani Hwy. betw mile markers 3-5 In sandy soil. Preserved_Specimen Shrubs to 2m tall; flowers purple. Oppenheimer, H.L. 80405 Maui BISH 2004-08-19
19 Calotropis procera Former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Northern Trap & Skeet Range In divot on scraped limestone. With Leucaena leucocephala. Preserved_Specimen 115 cm tall. Leaves glaucus. Herbaceous stem attached to corky stem remnant - possibly from a previous growing season. Covered in many ants. BISH staff 54 Oahu BISH 2021-05-04
20 Calotropis procera SE side 110 deg grassland, herbland; Cenchrus ciliaris, Setaria verticillata, Portulaca oleracea, Jacquemontia ovalifolia, Pluchea indica, Pluchea carolinensis, Ageratum conyzoides, Chenopodium murale, Waltheria indica, Cenchrus echinatus, Cloris virgata Preserved_Specimen 1 m shrub; 4 main stems green or green brown, girdled by rabbits; inner lobes purple; leaves glaucous light green Wood, K.R. 11533 Lehua Rock BISH 2005-10-05
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