Asclepias speciosa
| Asclepias speciosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asclepiadoideae |
| Genus: | Asclepias |
| Species: | A. speciosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Asclepias speciosa Torr. | |
Asclepias speciosa is a milky-sapped perennial plant in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), known commonly as the showy milkweed.[1]
Habitat and range
It is native to the western half of North America.
Growth pattern
This flowering plant is a hairy, erect perennial.
Leaves and stems
The large, pointed, elongate, simple, entire leaves are arranged oppositely on stalks.
Inflorescense and fruit
The eye-catching, hirsute, pale pink through pinkish-purple flowers occur in dense umbellate cymes. Their corollas are reflexed and the central flower parts, five hoods with prominent hooks, form a star shape. The fruit is a large, rough follicle filled with many flat oval seeds, each with silky hairs.
This species flowers from May through September.[1]
Uses
Native Americans used fiber in the stems for rope, basketry, and nets.[1] Some Native Americans believed the milky sap had medicinal qualities, however, most species of milkweed are toxic.[1]
Butterflies
Asclepias speciosa is a specific monarch butterfly food and habitat plant.
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asclepias speciosa. |
- Jepson Manual Treatment: Asclepias speciosa
- USDA Plants Profile: Asclepias speciosa
- Ethnobotany: Asclepias speciosa
- Asclepias speciosa Photo gallery