Asclepias obovata
Asclepias californica
pineland milkweed
California milkweed, round-hood milkweed
1 (rarely more), erect to spreading, unbranched, 40–70(–200) cm, densely hirtellous to velutinous, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
1–20+, decumbent to erect, rarely branched, 15–90 cm, densely tomentose, not glaucous, rhizomes 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.
opposite, sessile or petiolate, stipular colleters absent;
petiole 0–17 mm, densely tomentose;
blade ovate to lanceolate or oval, 5–18 × 2.5–10.5 cm, chartaceous, base cordate to truncate, margins often minutely erose, apex acuminate, venation eucamptodromous to faintly brochidodromous, surfaces densely tomentose to glabrate, margins ciliate, laminar colleters absent.
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.
terminal, sometimes branched, and extra-axillary at upper nodes, sessile or pedunculate, 5–21-flowered;
peduncle 0–2.5 cm, densely tomentose, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
10–12 mm, densely hirtellous to velutinous.
15–40 mm, densely tomentose.
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.
spreading to pendent;
calyx lobes linear to narrowly lanceolate, 4–6 mm, apex acute, densely tomentose;
corolla green or tan (sometimes tinged pink) to pinkish purple, red-violet at base, lobes reflexed with spreading tips, oval, 8–11 mm, apex acute, densely tomentose abaxially, pilose at base adaxially;
gynostegial column 2–3.5 mm;
fused anthers dark brown, columnar, 2–2.5 mm, wings right-triangular, closed, apical appendages deltoid;
corona segments red-violet, sometimes pale at apex, sessile, conduplicate, dorsally rounded, 3–6 mm, exceeded by style apex, base slightly to strongly saccate, margins connivent, apex rounded to truncate, slightly to strongly oblique, papillose, internal appendage absent;
style apex planar, green.
broadly ovate, 8–9 × 6–7 mm, margin winged, faces smooth;
coma 2–5 cm.
broadly oval to orbiculate, 9–12 × 8–11 mm, margin very narrowly winged, faces rugulose;
coma 1.5–2.5 cm.
erect on upcurved pedicels, narrowly to broadly fusiform, 7.5–12.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, apex acuminate, smooth, densely hirtellous to velutinous.
sometimes paired, erect on upcurved pedicels, ovoid, 5–12.5 × 2–3 cm, apex apiculate to acuminate, longitudinally ridged, densely tomentose.
Asclepias obovata
Asclepias californica
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.)
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Asclepias californica is one of the showiest milkweed species in the flora, with red-violet flowers set off by the dense, white, wooly vestiture of the rest of the plant. It is available from California nurseries but can be difficult to maintain in cultivation. An old report of the species from Baja California Sur cannot be confirmed and likely stems from a misidentification or erroneous location. Although the coronas are notoriously variable within the recognized subspecies, the key characters reliably distinguish northern and southern population systems. However, intermediates can be found in the contact zone, in Kern County.
Gomphocarpus tomentosus (Torrey) A. Gray (not Burchell 1822) is an illegitimate name found in some older regional floras that pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Corona segments 4–6 mm, apex usually rounded, opening extending from apex to base more than halfway, often more than three-quarters. | subsp. californica |
1. Corona segments 3–4 mm, apex truncate or rounded, opening extending from apex to base less than, rarely up to, halfway. | subsp. greenei |
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