Calotropis or milkweed tree (Calotropis procera)........
It grows wild in abandoned places in India, including Odisha, my native area....
It has dual attributes....
The latex is known to be a poison...can blind a person...mythological evidences exist..
These flowers are used in worshiping Lord Shiva...like many thing venomous associated with this Himalaya-dwelling God....
However, modern science is proving that the latex has therapeutic role...
People may find hard to understand how a poison can be medicine...but, as a biomedical researcher I don't have an issue understanding it.......its all about protease - protease inhibitor mechanism...
However, no one should consume it for therapeutic purpose...as the raw latex can kill!
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