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pineland milkweed

asclépiade incarnate, rose milkweed, swamp milkweed, swamp silkweed, white Indian hemp

Habit Herbs. Herbs.
Stems

1 (rarely more), erect to spreading, unbranched, 40–70(–200) cm, densely hirtellous to velutinous, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.

1–few, erect, unbranched to inflorescence, 30–150 cm, puberulent in a line with curved trichomes or densely pilose to glabrate, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.

Leaves

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, petiolate, with 1 or 2 stipular colleters on each side of petiole on a ciliate interpetiolar ridge;

petiole 1–15 mm, pilosulous to pilose;

blade lanceolate to linear-lanceolate or ovate, 5–15 × 0.5–4.5 cm, membranous, base obtuse to rounded or subcordate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate or attenuate, venation eucamptodromous, surfaces sparsely puberulent with curved trichomes or pilose to glabrate, margins ciliate, 2–6 laminar colleters.

Inflorescences

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.

extra-axillary at upper nodes, branched, pedunculate, 10–31-flowered;

peduncle 1.5–7 cm, puberulent with curved trichomes to pilosulous, sometimes only on 1 side, to pilose, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.

Pedicels

10–12 mm, densely hirtellous to velutinous.

10–15 mm, pilosulous to puberulent with curved trichomes, sometimes only on 1 side, to pilose.

Flowers

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.

erect;

calyx lobes lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, pilosulous to puberulent with curved trichomes;

corolla pink to white, lobes reflexed with spreading tips, elliptic, (4.5–)5–6 mm, apex acute, glabrous abaxially, minutely papillose at base adaxially;

gynostegial column 1.2–1.5 mm;

fused anthers green to brown, columnar, 1.5–2 mm, wings narrowly right-triangular, slightly open at base, apical appendages deltoid;

corona segments pink to white, often paler than corolla, stipitate, tubular, dorsally rounded to slightly flattened, 2–2.5 mm, ± equaling style apex, apex obtuse, glabrous, internal appendage acicular, exserted, arching over style apex, glabrous;

style apex shallowly depressed, green, white, or pink.

Seeds

broadly ovate, 8–9 × 6–7 mm, margin winged, faces smooth;

coma 2–5 cm.

ovate, 8–9 × 5–6 mm, margin broadly winged, faces smooth;

coma 1.5–2 cm.

Follicles

erect on upcurved pedicels, narrowly to broadly fusiform, 7.5–12.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, apex acuminate, smooth, densely hirtellous to velutinous.

erect on straight pedicels, fusiform, 6–9 × 0.8–1.2 cm, apex long-acuminate, smooth to indistinctly ribbed, sparsely puberulent with curved trichomes to pilose or pilosulous.

Asclepias obovata

Asclepias incarnata

Phenology Flowering May–Sep; fruiting Jul–Oct.
Habitat Hills, slopes, flats, ridges, sandhills, ditches, seeps, bogs, sandstone, sandy, rocky, silty, and clay soils, pine flatwoods, pine savannas, pine, pine-oak, and bottomland hardwood forests, prairies, often following fires.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; OK; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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 incarnata can be grown in a great variety of soil types and is surprisingly drought tolerant considering its natural predilection for hydric and mesic soils. As an easily grown, attractive, versatile species, it is one of the best options for gardening with milkweeds. It consists of two morphologically and geographically distinct, but intergrading subspecies.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Stems and leaf blades glabrate to sparsely puber­ulent with curved trichomes; petioles 7–15 mm; leaf blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate; usually interior sites.
subsp. incarnata
1. Stems and leaf blades densely pilose; petioles 1–8 mm, leaf blades ovate to lanceolate; usually coastal or on piedmont.
subsp. pulchra
Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Apocynaceae > Asclepias Apocynaceae > Asclepias
Sibling taxa
A. albicans, A. amplexicaulis, A. angustifolia, A. arenaria, A. asperula, A. brachystephana, A. californica, A. cinerea, A. connivens, A. cordifolia, A. cryptoceras, A. curassavica, A. curtissii, A. cutleri, A. eastwoodiana, A. elata, A. emoryi, A. engelmanniana, A. eriocarpa, A. erosa, A. exaltata, A. fascicularis, A. feayi, A. hallii, A. hirtella, A. humistrata, A. hypoleuca, A. incarnata, A. involucrata, A. labriformis, A. lanceolata, A. lanuginosa, A. latifolia, A. lemmonii, A. linaria, A. linearis, A. longifolia, A. macrosperma, A. macrotis, A. meadii, A. michauxii, A. nummularia, A. nyctaginifolia, A. oenotheroides, A. ovalifolia, A. pedicellata, A. perennis, A. prostrata, A. pumila, A. purpurascens, A. quadrifolia, A. quinquedentata, A. rubra, A. rusbyi, A. ruthiae, A. sanjuanensis, A. scaposa, A. solanoana, A. speciosa, A. sperryi, A. stenophylla, A. subulata, A. subverticillata, A. sullivantii, A. syriaca, A. texana, A. tomentosa, A. tuberosa, A. uncialis, A. variegata, A. verticillata, A. vestita, A. viridiflora, A. viridis, A. viridula, A. welshii
A. albicans, A. amplexicaulis, A. angustifolia, A. arenaria, A. asperula, A. brachystephana, A. californica, A. cinerea, A. connivens, A. cordifolia, A. cryptoceras, A. curassavica, A. curtissii, A. cutleri, A. eastwoodiana, A. elata, A. emoryi, A. engelmanniana, A. eriocarpa, A. erosa, A. exaltata, A. fascicularis, A. feayi, A. hallii, A. hirtella, A. humistrata, A. hypoleuca, A. involucrata, A. labriformis, A. lanceolata, A. lanuginosa, A. latifolia, A. lemmonii, A. linaria, A. linearis, A. longifolia, A. macrosperma, A. macrotis, A. meadii, A. michauxii, A. nummularia, A. nyctaginifolia, A. obovata, A. oenotheroides, A. ovalifolia, A. pedicellata, A. perennis, A. prostrata, A. pumila, A. purpurascens, A. quadrifolia, A. quinquedentata, A. rubra, A. rusbyi, A. ruthiae, A. sanjuanensis, A. scaposa, A. solanoana, A. speciosa, A. sperryi, A. stenophylla, A. subulata, A. subverticillata, A. sullivantii, A. syriaca, A. texana, A. tomentosa, A. tuberosa, A. uncialis, A. variegata, A. verticillata, A. vestita, A. viridiflora, A. viridis, A. viridula, A. welshii
Subordinate taxa
A. incarnata subsp. incarnata, A. incarnata subsp. pulchra
Name authority Elliott: Sketch Bot. S. Carolina 1: 321. (1817) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 215. (1753)
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