Asclepias syriaca
Asclepias asperula
asclépiade commune, broadleaf milkweed, common milkweed
Antelope horns, spider milkweed
1 (rarely more, but forming dense colonies), erect, unbranched (rarely branched), 50–200 cm, tomentose to puberulent with curved trichomes, not glaucous, rhizomatous.
1–40, erect to decumbent, unbranched or branched at base, 15–60 cm, puberulent with curved trichomes, not glaucous, rhizomes absent.
opposite, petiolate, with 1–5 stipular colleters on each side of petiole;
petiole 5–15 mm, tomentose to puberulent with curved trichomes;
blade oval or ovate to oblong or elliptic, 6–30 × 2.5–11 cm, chartaceous, base cuneate to rounded or truncate, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded or acute, often mucronate, venation brochidodromous, surfaces tomentose to pilosulous abaxially, tomentose to glabrate adaxially, margins ciliate, 4–20 laminar colleters.
alternate to subopposite, petiolate, with 1–3 stipular colleters on each side of petiole;
petiole 2–4 mm, puberulent with curved trichomes to pilosulous;
blade lanceolate to linear, 5–17 × 0.4–3.7 cm, chartaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, apex attenuate to acute, mucronate, venation eucamptodromous to brochidodromous, surfaces puberulent with curved trichomes to glabrate, more densely so on veins, margins ciliate, laminar colleters absent.
extra-axillary, pedunculate, 24–113-flowered;
peduncle 2–12 cm, tomentulose to pilose or puberulent with curved trichomes, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
terminal, sessile or pedunculate, 10–60-flowered;
peduncle 0–22.5 cm, puberulent with curved trichomes, with 1 caducous bract at the base of each pedicel.
17–40 mm, densely pilose to puberulent with curved trichomes.
16–30 mm, puberulent with curved trichomes to pilose.
erect to pendent;
calyx lobes elliptic, 3–6 mm, apex acute, tomentulose;
corolla dark to pale pink or green and pink-tinged, lobes reflexed with spreading tips, oblong to oval, 6–9 mm, apex acute, pilose abaxially, minutely hirtellous at base adaxially;
gynostegial column 1–1.5 mm;
fused anthers green, cylindric, 2–2.5 mm, wings narrowly right-triangular, slightly open, apical appendages ovate;
corona segments reddish purple to cream, sessile, tubular, slightly flattened dorsally, 4–5 mm, exceeding style apex, apex obtuse, somewhat to strongly flared, glabrous, internal appendage falcate, exserted, sharply inflexed over style apex, glabrous;
style apex shallowly depressed, green or pale to dark pink.
erect to spreading;
calyx lobes ovate to linear-lanceolate, 3–5 mm, apex acute, pilosulous to puberulent with curved trichomes;
corolla pale green, sometimes tinged red abaxially, campanulate, lobes ascending and exceeding corolla segments, ovate to oval, 7–10 mm, apex acute, puberulent with curved trichomes at apex abaxially, glabrous adaxially;
gynostegium sessile;
fused anthers brown and green, turbinate, 2–2.5 mm, wings trapezoidal, widest above middle, closed, apical appendages ovate, erose;
corona segments reddish purple and white, sessile, clavate-tubular, 4.5–7 mm, slightly exceeded by to equaling style apex, deflexed at base, margins connivent, apex incurved, rounded, upper margin and cavity papillose, internal appendage a low internal crest, papillose;
style apex depressed, green.
narrowly ovate, 7–8 × 4–5 mm, margin winged, faces rugulose;
coma 3–4 cm.
ovate, 5–8 × 4–6 mm, margin winged, remotely erose, faces minutely rugulose-papillose, minutely hirtellous;
coma 2.5–4 cm.
erect on upcurved pedicels, lance-ovoid to ovoid, 7–12 × 2–4 cm, apex acuminate, smooth or muricate, tomentose.
erect on upcurved pedicels, lance-ovoid, 6–11.5 × 1–2.5 cm, apex short- to long-acuminate, weakly to strongly arcuate, shallowly rugose-ribbed, ribs sometimes muricate, striate, pilosulous.
= 22.
Asclepias syriaca
Asclepias asperula
Asclepias syriaca is surely the most familiar milkweed in North America, and one that evokes ambivalence. It has been considered an undesirable species because of its prolific rhizomatous spread and ability to invade and thrive in cultivated land. However, it has been used as a food plant by indigenous and colonizing peoples, and its pleasantly fragrant and nectariferous flowers are avidly sought by diverse insects, highlighting the ecological importance of A. syriaca. Moreover, it has come to be appreciated because of its importance as one of the most commonly utilized host plants of the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus. There is some evidence that its population in agricultural lands in the upper midwestern United States has dramatically declined in the last several decades. However, its range and abundance prior to European settlement are not well understood and may have been much lower than in historical times, particularly in deforested areas of the eastern United States. It is considered to have been introduced to Newfoundland, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina and has been reported, but without documentation, from Texas. It has been documented from Salem, Oregon, but appears to not be established there (R. Halse, pers. comm.). It is considered to be of conservation concern at the northwesternmost edge of its range in Saskatchewan, where a single population is known in Estevan Municipality. Asclepias syriaca is the most promiscuous of milkweeds, as it is known to hybridize with at least seven other species (A. amplexicaulis, A. exaltata, A. ovalifolia, A. purpurascens, A. speciosa, A. sullivantii, A. tuberosa). Hybrids with A. speciosa are most frequent, as discussed under that species. Hybrids with A. exaltata are not infrequently encountered in the Appalachian Mountains and elsewhere. Other hybrids are highly localized. In all cases, putative hybrids are inferred from intermediate floral and vegetatative traits.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
With terminal umbels of large, green and purple flowers, Asclepias asperula is highly distinctive and in flower can be confused only with its sister species, A. viridis. Distinguishing characteristics and the existence of interspecific hybrids are discussed under A. viridis. Large bees, notably Bombus and Xylocopa, are commonly observed visiting the flowers of A. asperula.
The subspecies of Asclepias asperula are strongly differentiated away from their region of contact, which extends from south of the Texas Panhandle to the extreme tip of the Oklahoma Panhandle. In the region of contact, their distinguishing traits intermix. The common occurrence of intermediates and apparent introgressants argues against elevation of the subspecies to the specific rank. There is a surprising gap in the distribution of the species as a whole on the Llano Estacado in eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle that may contribute to the differentiation of the subspecies.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Corona segments reddish purple with white upper margin, 5–7 mm; follicle ribs inconspicuously muricate at apex or not at all. | subsp. asperula |
1. Corona segments white, dorsally reddish purple, 4.5–6 mm; follicle ribs sparsely to densely muricate for most of the length. | subsp. capricornu |
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