中文名（Chinese Name）：牛角瓜
学名（Scientific Name）：Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) Dry. ex Ait. f.
英文名（English Common Name）：giant milkweed
别名（Chinese Common Name）：断肠草、羊浸树
异名（Synonym）：Periploca cochinchinensis Lour.；Streptocaulon cochinchinense (Lour.) G. Don；Calotropis gigantiea (L.) R. Br. ex Schult.；Madorius giganteus (L.) Kuntze
科属（Family & Genus）：萝藦科（Asclepiadaceae）牛角瓜属
形态特征（Description）：直立灌木，高达3米，全株具乳汁；茎黄白色，枝粗壮，幼枝部分被灰白色绒毛。叶倒卵状长圆形或椭圆状长圆形，长8-20厘米，宽3.5-9.5厘米，顶端急尖，基部心形；两面被灰白色绒毛，老渐脱落；侧脉每边4-6条，疏离；叶柄极端，有时叶基部抱茎。聚伞花序伞形状，腋生和顶生；花序梗和花梗被灰白色绒毛，花梗长2-2.5厘米；花萼裂片卵圆形；花冠紫蓝色，辐状，直径3-4厘米，裂片卵圆形，长1.5厘米，宽1厘米，急尖；副花冠裂片比合蕊柱短，顶端内向，基部有距。蓇葖单生，膨胀，端部外弯，长7-9厘米，直径3厘米，被短柔毛；种子广卵形，长5毫米，宽3毫米，顶端具白色绢质种毛；种毛长2.5厘米。花果期几乎全年。
分布（Distribution）：产云南、四川、广西及广东等省区，生于低海拔的向阳山坡、旷野地及海边，东南亚也有。
用途（Use）：茎皮纤维可供造纸、制绳索及人造棉，织麻布、麻袋；种毛可作丝绒原料及填充物。茎叶的乳汁有毒，含多种强心甙，供药用，治皮肤病、痢疾、风湿、支气管炎；树皮可治癫癣。乳汁干燥后可用作树胶原料，还可制鞣料及黄色染料。全株可作绿肥。
引自中国植物志英文版FOC Vol. 16 Page 203
Calotropis gigantea (Linnaeus) W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. ed. 2. 2: 78. 1811.
牛角瓜 niu jiao gua| Asclepiadaceae  | Calotropis
Asclepias gigantea Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 214. 1753; Periploca cochinchinensis Loureiro; Streptocaulon cochinchinense (Loureiro) G. Don.
Shrubs 1-5 m tall. Petiole 1-4 mm; leaf blade obovate-oblong or oblong, 7-30 × 3-15 cm, base cordate, apex obtuse, cottony tomentose when young, frequently glabrescent and glaucous green; lateral veins 4-8 pairs. Cymes umbel-like, with fine woolly hairs; peduncle robust, 5-12 cm. Pedicel thick, 2-5 cm. Calyx almost flat, 1.2-1.5 cm in diam. Flower buds cylindric. Corolla usually purplish or lilac with paler greenish base, 2.5-3.5 cm in diam., fleshy, glabrous; lobes ovate, 1-1.5 × 0.6-1 cm, spreading or reflexed, margin revolute. Corona shorter than gynostegium. Follicles obliquely elliptic to oblong-lanceolate in outline, 5-10 × 2.5-4 cm, both ends incurved. Seeds broadly ovate, 5-7 × 3-4 mm; coma 2.5-4 cm. Fl. almost throughout the year. 2n = 22.
Woods of dry areas, stream banks; 0-1400 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; tropical Africa]
The bark is used as a medicine for the treatment of neurodermatitis and syphilis, and the leaves are used as a poultice. The juice is used in making a yellow dye and in tanning. A fine fiber is obtained from the stems.
（责任编辑：徐晔春）