A Preliminary Phyto-Pharmacognostical evaluation of Calotropis gigantea(L.) R. Br. ( Alarka or Mandara ) Root.

‘Alarka’ Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br. is a medicinal shrub, belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae. The plant is used in Ayurvedic system of medicine for healing various diseases. However the present study was aimed to evaluate the parameters to determine the identity, purity and strength of the plant. This study comprise of morphological, microscopical and preliminary phytochemical investigations of the shrub.Â