Asclepias curassavica
Asclepias lanceolata
blood flower, bloodflower milkweed, hierba de la cucaracha, tropical milkweed, wild ipecacuanha
few-flower milkweed, smooth-orange milkweed
1–several, erect, sparsely to moderately branched, 30–150 cm, minutely pilosulous in a line to glabrate, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
1, erect, unbranched, 60–125 cm, glabrous, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
persistent or gradually caducous from the base, opposite, petiolate, with 1 or 2 stipular colleters on each side of petiole on a ciliate interpetiolar ridge;
petiole 4–25 mm, puberulent with curved trichomes in a line to glabrate;
blade elliptic or oval to linear, 4–18 × 0.3–4.5 cm, membranous, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate to attenuate, venation eucamptodromous to faintly brochidodromous, surfaces sparsely puberulent with curved trichomes on veins abaxially, sparsely puberulent with curved trichomes on veins to glabrate adaxially, margins ciliate, laminar colleters absent.
opposite, sessile or petiolate, with 1 stipular colleter on each side of petiole on a ciliate interpetiolar ridge;
petiole 0–1 mm, ciliate;
blade linear to linear-lanceolate, somewhat conduplicate, 7–25 × 0.2–1.7 cm, chartaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, apex attenuate, mucronate, venation faintly brochidodromous to obscure, surfaces glabrous, margins inconspicuously ciliate, 8–12 laminar colleters, usually obscured by conduplicate petiole.
extra-axillary, pedunculate, 5–22-flowered;
peduncle 0.5–8 cm, puberulent with curved trichomes in a line, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
terminal and often extra-axillary at an upper node, usually branched, pedunculate, 4–16-flowered;
peduncle 1–7.5 cm, puberulent on 1 side with curved trichomes, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
7–20 mm, puberulent with curved trichomes.
13–19 mm, puberulent on 1 side with curved trichomes.
erect;
calyx lobes linear-lanceolate, 3–4 mm, apex acute, puberulent with curved trichomes;
corolla red, sometimes yellow in throat (to wholly orange or yellow in cultivars), lobes reflexed with spreading tips, elliptic to oval, 6–9 mm, apex acute, glabrous abaxially, minutely papillose at base adaxially;
gynostegial column 2–2.5 mm;
fused anthers yellowish green to tan, cylindric, 1.5–2 mm, wings narrowly right-triangular, closed, apical appendages deltoid;
corona segments yellow to orange, stipitate, tubular, dorsally somewhat flattened, 3.5–4 mm, exceeding style apex, apex obtuse to acute, glabrous, internal appendage falcate, exserted, arching over style apex, glabrous;
style apex shallowly depressed, yellow.
erect;
calyx lobes narrowly lanceolate, 2–3 mm, apex acute, puberulent with curved trichomes to glabrate;
corolla red, lobes reflexed, usually with spreading tips, elliptic, 9–10 mm, apex acute, glabrous abaxially, minutely papillose at base adaxially;
gynostegial column 1.5–2 mm;
fused anthers green, tinged yellow to red, truncately obconic, 2.5 mm, wings narrowly right-triangular, slightly open at base, apical appendages deltoid;
corona segments yellow to reddish orange, stipitate, broadly tubular, dorsally flattened, 5–6 mm, exceeding style apex, apex obtuse, flared, glabrous, internal appendage subulate, exserted, sharply inflexed over style apex, glabrous;
style apex shallowly depressed, red.
ovate, 6–7 × 4–5 mm, margin winged, faces minutely rugulose to smooth;
coma 2.5–3 cm.
broadly oval, 8–10 × 6–8 mm, margin winged, faces smooth;
coma 3–3.5 cm.
erect on straight pedicels, fusiform, 6–10 × 0.5–1.2 cm, apex acuminate to attenuate, smooth, glabrous.
erect on upcurved pedicels, narrowly fusiform, 5.5–10 × 0.8–1 cm, apex attenuate to long-acuminate, smooth, sparsely pilosulous or puberulent with curved trichomes to glabrate.
= 22.
Asclepias curassavica
Asclepias lanceolata
Asclepias curassavica is the only non-native Asclepias species naturalized in the flora area. It is very commonly cultivated, originally for its strikingly colored flowers and their attraction of Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. Recently, they have been valued also as a host plant for monarch butterflies. Cultivars with pure orange or pure yellow flowers are readily available. The species develops rapidly from seed and can be grown as an annual (in the horticultural sense) anywhere in the region. Though often described as an annual, like all species of Asclepias, it has a perennial habit. It may persist through mild winters at least as far north as Oklahoma but has only become established in frost-free areas of the southern United States.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Asclepias lanceolata is a characteristic wetland milkweed of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, where it occurs sometimes with its similar relative, A. rubra. It is distinguished from A. rubra by flower color (shades of orange, yellow, and red versus pink, lavender, and reddish purple), corona segment apex (obtuse versus acute), and leaf shape (linear to linear-lanceolate versus narrowly lanceolate to ovate). These species are known to hybridize locally, particularly in North Carolina, and putative hybrids can be recognized by intermediate floral and vegetative traits. The pattern of yellow-orange coronas paired with red corollas is similar to that of the introduced A. curassavica, and these species are sometimes confused. Asclepias curassavica differs by usually pure yellow (versus orangish) coronas, more flowers per umbel, much shorter peduncles, and wider, shorter leaf blades. Asclepias lanceolata sometimes is confused also with orange-flowered A. tuberosa, although that species only rarely has bicolored flowers, and the two are quite distinct in habitat, growth form, and vestiture. Through habitat loss, A. lanceolata has become quite rare in some areas, particularly the northeastern United States. It is considered to be of conservation concern in Delaware (Sussex County), Maryland (Dorchester County), and New Jersey. It has been reported, but not documented, from Tennessee, and its occurrence there seems unlikely. The report may be based on confusion with the name of the formerly recognized (and unrelated) A. viridiflora var. lanceolata.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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