Asclepias curassavica L.

Kapas cinde (Asclepias curassavica) is an upright herb up to 0.7-1.5 meters tall of the Apocynaceae family, native to South America and distributed as far as Australia and Asia. Its stem fiber is used for spinning and traditional brooms, besides being grown as an ornamental. Kapas cinde is traditionally believed to be a laxative and to help stop bleeding from wounds.

This plant grows in lowlands up to elevations of 800 m above sea level and can live in tropical and subtropical regions. Commonly found around forests, roadsides, and house yards.

• Root a taproot, dirty white in color.
• Stem round, smooth, dull green, exudes latex
• Leaves short-stalked, green, elongated lance-shaped, pointed tip, narrowing base, opposite arrangement.
• Flowers compound, narrow and pointed sepal crown, 5 petals, bright red or orange with a yellow center.
• Fruit elongated ovoid, flat, with a long tuft of silk-like white hairs at the tip.
• Seeds brown in color, ovoid-shaped, flat, narrowly winged around the edge.

Can be propagated generatively (seed) and vegetatively (stem cuttings).

Glycoside, calotropin, uzarin, calactin, coroglucigenin, uzarigenin, oleanolic acid, quercetin, flavonoid, phenols, caffeic acid, tannin, resin, terpenoid, xanthoprotein, steroid, carboxylic acids, coumarins, ambrettolic acid, β-sitosterol.

Laxative, stops bleeding from wounds and hemorrhoids, wound infections, treats gonorrhea, inflamed spleen, pneumonia, mastitis (breast infection), warts, cancer, fever, improves blood circulation, treats ringworm, and rashes.

• Prepare and wash the entire kapas cinde plant thoroughly with running water.
• Air-dry the material then grind into powder.
• Store in a sterile, airtight container.

Mas sekar (Java).