Asclepias engelmanniana
Asclepias obovata
Engelmann's milkweed
pineland milkweed
1 or 2 (rarely more), erect, sometimes branched, 40–160 cm, glabrous, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
1 (rarely more), erect to spreading, unbranched, 40–70(–200) cm, densely hirtellous to velutinous, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
alternate, sessile, drooping, with 1 stipular colleter on each side of leaf base;
blade linear, conduplicate, 5–19 × 0.15–0.3 cm, chartaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute, venation faintly brochidodromous to obscure, surfaces sparsely puberulent with curved trichomes to glabrate, margins ciliate, laminar colleters absent.
opposite, petiolate, with 1 or 2 stipular colleters on each side of petiole;
petiole 1–4 mm, densely hirtellous to velutinous;
blade oblong or elliptic to obovate or ovate, 4–9 × 1–3.5 cm, subcoriaceous, base rounded or truncate to cordate, margins sometimes crisped, apex acute to truncate, sometimes emarginate, often mucronate, venation brochidodromous, surfaces densely hirtellous to velutinous abaxially, hirtellous adaxially, margins ciliate, 8–12 laminar colleters.
extra-axillary, sessile or pedunculate, 14–23-flowered;
peduncle occasionally branched, 0–2 cm, pilosulous or puberulent with curved trichomes, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
extra-axillary, sometimes also appearing terminal, sessile or pedunculate, 7–31-flowered;
peduncle 0–0.5 cm, densely hirtellous to velutinous, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
8–11 mm, pilose.
10–12 mm, densely hirtellous to velutinous.
erect to spreading;
calyx lobes lanceolate, 3–4 mm, apex acute, pilosulous;
corollas tan to russet abaxially, pale green to greenish cream or ochroleucous to tan adaxially, lobes reflexed with ascending tips, elliptic, 4–5 mm, apex acute, glabrous;
gynostegial column 0.5–1.5 mm;
fused anthers brown, broadly barrel-shaped, 2–2.5 mm, wings crescent-shaped and narrowly open throughout, apical appendages narrowly pandurate, conduplicate, not obscuring corpuscula;
corona segments cream to tan or yellow, sessile, chute-shaped, 2–3 mm, equaling style apex, base saccate and auriculate, apex retuse to nearly truncate, glabrous, internal appendage absent or obscure, glabrous;
style apex depressed, green to yellowish green.
erect to pendent;
calyx lobes elliptic, 5–6 mm, apex acute, densely hirtellous;
corolla green, sometimes tinged reddish or bronze, lobes reflexed, sometimes with spreading tips, elliptic, 7–9 mm, apex acute, glabrous abaxially, minutely papillose at base adaxially;
gynostegial column 1–1.5 mm;
fused anthers green, obconic, 2.5–4 mm, wings right-triangular, open at base, apical appendages broadly ovate;
corona segments bronze to yellow, often tinged red, sometimes apically cream or pale, stipitate, tubular, somewhat flattened laterally, flared at base, 5–8 mm, greatly exceeding style apex, apex rounded, flared, glabrous, internal appendage falcate, exserted, sharply incurved over style apex, glabrous;
style apex shallowly depressed, green.
ovate, 8–9 × 5–6 mm, margin winged, faces minutely papillose and rugulose;
coma 2–2.5 cm.
broadly ovate, 8–9 × 6–7 mm, margin winged, faces smooth;
coma 2–5 cm.
erect on upcurved pedicels, lance-ovoid, 6–10 × 1.2–2 cm, apex long-acuminate, smooth, pilosulous.
erect on upcurved pedicels, narrowly to broadly fusiform, 7.5–12.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, apex acuminate, smooth, densely hirtellous to velutinous.
Asclepias engelmanniana
Asclepias obovata
Asclepias engelmanniana is usually a tall herb with drooping leaves and spherical umbels of greenish yellow flowers rising above surrounding grassland plants. In spite of its distinctive appearance, it is quite similar to its close relatives, A. rusbyi and A. stenophylla. The yellowish green coronas, squat flowers, upcurved fruiting pedicels, and drooping leaves distinguish A. engelmanniana from A. stenophylla, which has more slender flowers with creamy coronas, straight pedicels in fruit, and spreading to ascending leaves. Despite ranges with only little overlap and few if any mixed populations, these two species are often confused, especially in the absence of flowers. Compared to its close relative, A. engelmanniana is distributed further west, in mixed- and short-grass prairies. A report of A. engelmanniana from South Dakota has not been confirmed, and reports from Iowa appear to have been based on misidentified specimens of A. stenophylla. Reports from Arkansas are unconfirmed and also very likely to be based on misidentifications. Asclepias engelmanniana is considered to be of conservation concern in Wyoming, where it has been recorded only from Goshen County. Asclepias rusbyi has been inconsistently distinguished from A. engelmanniana (for example, E. Sundell 1994), although the differences elucidated by R. E. Woodson Jr. (1954) are sound. These species are readily distinguished by the characters in the key and appear to have allopatric ranges. Reports of A. engelmanniana from Arizona, western New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, southwestern Colorado, and Sonora, Mexico, all pertain to A. rusbyi.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Asclepias obovata is a common milkweed of seasonally wet, sandy soils in pine woodlands of the Gulf Coastal Plain and (rarely) the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain. It is rare and considered to be of conservation concern in Arkansas.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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