Asclepias longifolia
Asclepias vestita
Florida milkweed, long-leaf milkweed
woolly milkweed, wooly milkweed
1–few, spreading to decumbent, unbranched, 25–70 cm, puberulent with curved trichomes, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
1–20, prostrate to decumbent or ascending, rarely branched, 25–90 cm, tomentose, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
opposite or alternate, sessile or petiolate, with 1 or 2 stipular colleters on each side of petiole, also in axil;
petiole 0–2 mm, puberulent with curved trichomes;
blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 5–18 × 0.2–1 cm, chartaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to attenuate, sometimes mucronate, venation brochidodromous, surfaces scabridulous to puberulent with curved trichomes, especially on veins, margins ciliate, laminar colleters absent.
opposite, petiolate, with 0 or 1 stipular colleter on each side of petiole;
petiole 3–10 mm, tomentose;
blade elliptic or oval to lanceolate or ovate, 8–20 × 2–10 cm, chartaceous, base cuneate to rounded or cordate, margins entire, apex acute to attenuate or acuminate, mucronate, venation eucamptodromous to faintly brochidodromous, surfaces densely to thinly tomentose, laminar colleters absent.
terminal and extra-axillary at upper nodes, sessile or pedunculate, 13–28(–36)-flowered;
peduncle 0–6 cm, puberulent with curved trichomes, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
extra-axillary at upper nodes, sometimes appearing terminal, sessile or pedunculate, 19–45-flowered;
peduncle 0–3.5 cm, densely tomentose, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
9–16 mm, puberulent with curved trichomes.
15–35 mm, densely tomentose.
erect to spreading;
calyx lobes narrowly lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm, apex acute, puberulent with curved trichomes;
corolla white to greenish cream, purple at lobe tips, lobes reflexed, oblong, 3–5 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous;
gynostegial column 0.2–0.5 mm;
fused anthers green or brown, cylindric, 1–1.5 mm, wings triangular to trapezoidal, widest at middle, slightly open at tip, apical appendages ovate;
corona segments pinkish lavender to red-violet, often with white apex, often a darker red-violet stripe or at base, sessile, laminar, strongly dorsally compressed, margins incurved, appressed to column, curved to subsaccate, 2–2.5 mm, exceeding point of anther wings, greatly exceeded by style apex, apex obtuse to truncate, glabrous, internal appendage absent or obscure, glabrous;
style apex shallowly depressed, greenish cream to green.
erect to pendent;
calyx lobes elliptic, 5–6 mm, apex acute, densely tomentose;
corolla green to pinkish purple, lobes reflexed, sometimes with spreading tips, oval, 6–9 mm, apex acute, densely tomentose abaxially, papillose at base adaxially;
gynostegial column 1–1.5 mm;
fused anthers dark brown, truncately obconic, 1.5–2 mm, wings right-triangular, closed, apical appendages ovate;
corona segments cream to dark pink, sessile, conduplicate, dorsally rounded, 3–3.5 mm, equaling or slightly exceeding style apex, apex obtuse, oblique, margin with proximal tooth, glabrous, internal appendage falcate, slightly exserted, glabrous;
style apex shallowly depressed, cream.
ovate, 11–12 × 7–8 mm, margin winged, faces smooth;
coma 4–5 cm.
ovate, 10–12 × 7–10 mm, margin very narrowly winged, faces smooth;
coma 2–2.5 cm.
erect on upcurved pedicels, narrowly fusiform, 8–13.5 × 0.7–1.2 cm, apex attenuate, smooth, puberulent with curved trichomes.
erect on upcurved pedicels, ovoid, 5–6.5 × 2–2.5 cm, apex apiculate to acuminate, longitudinally ridged, tomentulose.
= 22.
Asclepias longifolia
Asclepias vestita
Asclepias longifolia has sometimes been treated to include A. hirtella as conspecific, as discussed under that species. As circumscribed here, the distribution of A. longifolia extends along the Atlantic Coastal Plain south of Delaware to Florida and westward to the Mississppi River. Reports of A. longifolia from west of the Mississippi River in Louisiana and in Texas are assigned here to A. hirtella. Hence, the range of A. longifolia in Louisiana is extremely limited, and the conservation status of this species warrants assessment in that state (Livingston, Saint Helena, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes). Reports of A. longifolia from Maryland and West Virginia have not been confirmed, and the species is considered extirpated from Delaware. Otherwise, it is rare at the northern extent of its range and considered to be of conservation concern in North Carolina and Virginia (Greensville and Prince George counties).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
W. L. Jepson (1923–1925) and R. E. Woodson Jr. (1954) segregated southern populations (Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties) from northern populations (Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, and San Luis Obispo counties) as varieties or subspecies. Of their distinguishing characters, only flower color is consistently different between these segments of the range: northern populations have pale green corollas with at most a pink tinge, whereas southern populations have pale burgundy to red-violet corollas. There is a tendency for plants in southern populations to be smaller and become more evidently glabrate late in the season, but more robust and hairier plants can also be found in the south. Further research may support recognition of distinct taxa for these populations, but they are not recognized here. Asclepias vestita is similar to co-occurring A. californica in the absence of flowers or fruits, but plants of A. vestita tend to be more prostrate and compact and the leaves tend to be broader towards the base and more quickly glabrate.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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