Asclepias obovata
Asclepias scaposa
pineland milkweed
bear mountain milkweed
1 (rarely more), erect to spreading, unbranched, 40–70(–200) cm, densely hirtellous to velutinous, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
1–5+, erect, unbranched (rarely at base), 15–20 cm, pilosulous, 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, with 1 stipular colleter on each side of petiole;
petiole 0–6 mm, pilosulous to glabrate;
blade oval to elliptic, 6–8 × 1.5–2.5 cm, membranous, base cuneate, margins crisped, apex obtuse to acute, venation eucamptodromous, surfaces sparsely hirtellous, 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, solitary, pedunculate, 15–30-flowered;
peduncle 7–17 cm, pilose, bracts absent or few.
10–12 mm, densely hirtellous to velutinous.
15–20 mm, pilose.
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 to pendent;
calyx lobes narrowly lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, pilose;
corolla green with purplish tinge (reddish purple), lobes reflexed, elliptic, 4–5 mm, apex acute, glabrous;
gynostegial column 0.5–1 mm;
fused anthers brown, cylindric, 1.5–2 mm, wings curved, wider at base, apical appendages ovate;
corona segments cream, sometimes yellow- or red-tinged or yellow or red at base, sessile, tubular, 2–3 mm, exceeding style apex, base saccate, apex truncate, dentate, glabrous, internal appendage falcate, exserted, arching above style apex, glabrous;
style apex shallowly depressed, green or cream.
broadly ovate, 8–9 × 6–7 mm, margin winged, faces smooth;
coma 2–5 cm.
not seen.
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 upcurved pedicels, fusiform, 5–6 × 1–1.5 cm, apex long-acuminate, smooth, pilosulous.
Asclepias obovata
Asclepias scaposa
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.)
The long-pedunculate, terminal inflorescence combined with short stature is distinctive in Asclepias scaposa. Although the locality of one of the syntypes was attributed to New Mexico by E. L. Greene, that is the only report for that state. Both syntypes were collected by Charles Wright for the United States-Mexico boundary survey, but neither of his labels indicates that they were collected in New Mexico. It is very likely that both collections were made in Texas or northeastern Mexico, and New Mexico is excluded from the distribution here. The common name Bear Mountain milkweed may refer to a ridge in the northwestern portion of the Davis Mountains, although no collections are known from this area. The few collections and observations that have been made in Texas are from scattered locations in Brewster, Crockett, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, and Terrell counties, and conservation status in the United States merits assessment. In Mexico, A. scaposa also has been rarely collected, except for a local area in Nuevo León (Municipio de Galeana).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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