Asclepias obovata
Asclepias tomentosa
pineland milkweed
tuba milkweed, velvetleaf milkweed
1 (rarely more), erect to spreading, unbranched, 40–70(–200) cm, densely hirtellous to velutinous, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
solitary (rarely 2), erect, unbranched (rarely branched), 25–150 cm, densely puberulent with curved trichomes, 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, petiolate, with 1 stipular colleter on each side of petiole;
petiole 2–9 mm, densely puberulent with curved trichomes;
blade lanceolate or ovate to oval or oblong or elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, 3.5–10 × 1–5 cm, chartaceous, base obtuse to subcordate, margins crisped, apex acute or obtuse to truncate or emarginate, sometimes mucronate, venation eucamptodromous to brochidodromous, surfaces puberulent with curved trichomes to tomentulose, margins ciliate, 4–8 laminar colleters.
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, sessile or pedunculate, 5–37-flowered;
peduncle 0–0.3 cm, densely puberulent with curved trichomes to tomentulose, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
10–12 mm, densely hirtellous to velutinous.
12–19 mm, densely pilose to tomentulose.
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, 3–4 mm, apex acute, pilose;
corollas green, often tinged reddish or purplish, lobes reflexed with spreading tips, oval, 7–9 mm, apex acute, glabrous;
gynostegial column 0.5–1 mm;
fused anthers green, obconic, 3–4 mm, wings broadly right-triangular, closed, apical appendages broadly oval;
corona segments green with cream apex, often tinged pink or purple, stipitate, conduplicate, dorsally flattened, 3–4 mm, exceeded by style apex, apex truncate, glabrous, internal appendage falcate, exserted, sharply inflexed towards style apex, papillose;
style apex shallowly depressed, green, fading pink or red.
broadly ovate, 8–9 × 6–7 mm, margin winged, faces smooth;
coma 2–5 cm.
ovate, 6.5–8 × 4.5–6 mm, margin winged, remotely erose, faces minutely and sparsely papillose and rugulose;
coma 3–3.5 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.
erect on upcurved pedicels, fusiform to narrowly lance-ovoid, 9–18 × 1–1.5 cm, apex long-acuminate, smooth, puberulent with curved trichomes to pilosulous or tomentulose.
Asclepias obovata
Asclepias tomentosa
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.)
Asclepias tomentosa is restricted largely to coastal and inland sandhills. As described by B. A. Sorrie (2016), it exhibits a disjunct distribution, with gaps of unoccupied, but suitable, habitat in eastern Georgia and from the western Florida Panhandle to Louisiana. Sorrie reports a specimen from Alabama, but this cannot be found. When not in flower, A. tomentosa can be confused with A. curtissii in peninsular Florida, where they sometimes co-occur in close proximity, and with A. obovata on the Gulf Coastal Plain. It can be distinguished from A. curtissii by the usually larger and more densely vestitured leaf blades. Both species may have purple stems. Asclepias obovata can be distinguished from A. tomentosa by the hirtellous to velutinous vestiture of the herbage. Outside of Florida, populations of A. tomentosa are few, but it has not been considered to be of conservation concern; evaluation of its status in Texas and Georgia (known only from Coffee County) may be warranted.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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