Calotropis gigantea, Apocynaceae, is a shrub from Asia, including Sri Lanka. Its leaves exude a latex containing cardiac glycosides.

In Sri Lanka, it is the main food plant (leaves and flowers) of the Plain Tiger butterfly larva, Danaus chrysippus chrysippus (van der Poorten & van der Poorten, 2016, The Butterfly Fauna of Sri Lanka).

Roots, flowers, stem and latex are used in Ayurveda for treating a variety of conditions and illnesses, including snakebite.