Family | ASCLEPIADACEAE {Apocynaceae}

The Milkweed Family

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Garden ID

their Seed is blowing in the wind

Asclepiadaceae, commonly known as milkweed family been reclassified as belonging to the Apocynaceae family, dogbanes.

has  They form a group of perennial herbs, twining shrubs, lianas or rarely trees but notably also contain a significant number of leafless stem succulents. The name comes from the type genus Asclepias (milkweeds).

FWBG, BRIT, Fort Worth, Texas                                                                                              Photograph: Jeanette Hyden

Green Milkweed, Antelope horn milkweed  (Asclepias viridis)

Milkweed is a host plant to the Monarch butterfly larvae. The butterfly larvae feeds on the leaves. 

Green milkweed or antelope horn milkweed, above, after it has flowered and created pods. The pods are usually erect, 2 ½ -5 in (6-13 cm) long and ½ – ¾ in (1-2 cm) wide. 

FWBG, BRIT, Fort Worth, Texas                                                                                     Photograph: Jeanette Hyden

Green Milkweed, Antelope horn milkweed  (Asclepias viridis)

A silky, hair-like structure assists in dispersing the seeds

 when the pods break open.

I have milkweed growing in my backyard for the monarch butterfly larvae. You can plant it in the spring from seed or buy it in the spring because many nurseries are now carrying several varieties. It is very important to select the correct variety of milkweed for your state.

Local County Extension offices or State Agricultural Schools can offer specific instructions for selecting varieties for your hardiness zone.

Monarch Watch has a listing by state of milkweed species that are recommended for planting.

Description___________________________________

Milkweed is found in the Apocynaceae family, (the family etymology is derived from the Greek, Apocynum, meaning, "dog-away"), dogbane family.

The Milkweed flower is called an umbellate cymes

Milkweed seedpod

              The most common methods of seed dispersal for plants are wind, water, animals, explosion and fire. When the milkweed follicle breaks open the seeds are transported by the wind as the breeze blows the hairlike comas to more distant locations.

                                    

Milkweed seedpod, a follicle

The seeds, each with long, white flossy hairs (coma), occur in the follicle seedpod and are dispersed after the pod breaks open and the wind carries the seed away.

 

Milkweed

 

Slim-leafed milkweeds:

 

Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata --- Identifyng features: whorls of leaves. Usually three to five leaves per junction, but may have mostly pairs with a few whorls.

                 Flowers white with neck and long horns.

 

Slim milkweed, Asclepias linearis— Identifyng features: Paired opposite leaves: Never whorled leaves, flowers much like verticillata, white with neck and long horns at center of hoods

 

 

Narrow-leaved milkweed, Asclepias stenophylla--- Identifyng features: Alternate leaves, or sometimes opposite leaves: (regular sized plant) Never whorled leaves, flowers neckless, hoods have little protrusions but  not  centered  long  horns. Flowers whitish, but not as white as vertcillata or linearis—more green.

 

 

 Woodson Engelmann's Milkweed, Asclepias engelmanniana--- Alternate to almost opposite leaves: (long slim plants up to 48”, and leaves narrow and widely spaced)  Flowers green with small or no horns  on hoods. Leaves droop and may curl or twist. Leaves can be 8” or more long.

 

(Linearis and stenophylla look a lot like verticillata with small differences in leaves and flowers (best seen in closeup for differences)

Engelmanniana looks weird—long and leggy with drooping twisting leaves. Its flowers are almost same as A. stenophylla.)

 

Not Slim-leafed milkweeds:

Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa--- Identifyng features: has orange/yellow flowers, and stiff, hairy stems and leaves, prefers acid soils.

 

Green milkweed, Asclepias viridiflora--- Identifyng features: has flower clusters that hang down, hoods clasp crown—color and leaves vary a lot

 

Antelope-Horns Milkweed, Asclepias asperula--- Identifyng features: A. asperula and Asclepias viridis are very similar in flower, with spreading club shaped hoods, but A. asperula has narrower, pointed leaves and a sprawling habit, and more maroon on hoods. A. viridis has oval leaves and is more upright, with lavender hoods. The hoods on A. asperula go all the way to the ends of the petals, but hose on A.  viridis stop well inside the edge of the flower.

 

Sidecluster Milkweed, Zizotes Milkweed, Asclepias oenotheroides --- Identifyng features: Recently found in Collin County, more common in the western 2/3 of Texas. Upright to sprawling habit with single or multiple stems. Flowers greenish, in loose clusters, have hoods (with horns) that extend well above the gynostegium. Plant smells strongly of burnt rubber when touched.

TAXONOMY_____________________________________________________________________________

Linnaeus 1735	Haeckel 1866	Chatton 1925	Copeland 1938	Whittaker 1969	Woese et al. 1990	Cavalier-Smith 1998	Cavalier-Smith 2015
2 kingdoms	3 kingdoms	2 empires	4 kingdoms	5 kingdoms	3 domains	2 empires, 6 kingdoms	2 empires, 7 kingdoms

*Wiki chart

Fuzzy order to organize my botanical photographic story.

The chart below is the culmination of an Excel spreadsheet populated to Word pages according to "Plant Family". As scientists reassign plants to new designations, according to new Taxonomy systems (see above), the charts must remain open to a dynamic caveat. 

Taxonomy

Family: FAMILY | ASCLEPIADACEAE

Family Common Name: Milkweed Family

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Superdivision/Superphylum:

Division: Angiosperm

Subphylum:

Infraphylum:

Superclass:

Class: Eudicots

Subclass:  Superasterids

Infraclass:  Asterids

Subterclass:  euasterids

Parvclass: 

Legion: 

Cohort: 

Manorder:

Superorder: Lamids

Order: Gentianales

Suborder: 

Infraorder:

Parvorder:

Superfamily:

 

Family: FAMILY | ASCLEPIADACEAE

Genera: 348

Species: 2900

Milkweed for Monarch Larvae

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Gardening for Butterfly Larvae

CREATING a haven for butterflies

Monarch Specific Food

FWBG, BRIT, Fort Worth, Texas                                                                       Photograph: Jeanette Hyden

Green Milkweed, Antelope horn milkweed  (Asclepias viridis)

Milkweed is a host plant to the Monarch butterfly larvae. The butterfly larvae feeds on the leaves. 

Green milkweed or antelope horn milkweed, above, after it has flowered and created pods. The pods are usually erect, 2 ½ -5 in (6-13 cm) long and ½ – ¾ in (1-2 cm) wide. 

FWBG, BRIT, Fort Worth, Texas                                                                                     Photograph: Jeanette Hyden
Green Milkweed, Antelope horn milkweed  (Asclepias viridis)

A silky, hair-like structure assists in dispersing the seeds when the pods break open.

I have milkweed growing in my backyard for the monarch butterfly larvae. You can plant it in the spring from seed or buy it in the spring because many nurseries are now carrying several varieties. It is very important to select the correct variety of milkweed for your state.

Local County Extension offices or State Agricultural Schools can offer specific instructions for selecting varieties for your hardiness zone.  Links: Examples by State Texas | Use: Green Milkweed, Antelope horn milkweed  (Asclepias viridis), California Xerces Society, Michigan.

Description___________________________________

Milkweed is found in the Apocynaceae family, (the family etymology is derived from the Greek, Apocynum, meaning, "dog-away"), dogbane family.

The Milkweed flower is called an umbellate cymes

Milkweed seedpod

             

 

The most common methods of seed dispersal for plants are wind, water, animals, explosion and fire. When the milkweed follicle breaks open the seeds are transported by the wind as the breeze blows the hairlike comas to more distant locations.

                                    

Milkweed seedpod, a follicle

The seeds, each with long, white flossy hairs (coma), occur in the follicle seedpod and are dispersed after the pod breaks open and the wind carries the seed away.

 

Milkweed

 

Slim-leafed milkweeds:

 

Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata --- Identifyng features: whorls of leaves. Usually three to five leaves per junction, but may have mostly pairs with a few whorls. Flowers white with neck and long horns.

 

Slim milkweed, Asclepias linearis— Identifyng features: Paired opposite leaves: Never whorled leaves, flowers much like verticillata, white with neck and long horns at center of hoods

 

 

Narrow-leaved milkweed, Asclepias stenophylla--- Identifyng features: Alternate leaves, or sometimes opposite leaves: (regular sized plant) Never whorled leaves, flowers neckless, hoods have little protrusions but  not  centered  long  horns. Flowers whitish, but not as white as vertcillata or linearis—more green.

 

 

 Woodson Engelmann's Milkweed, Asclepias engelmanniana--- Alternate to almost opposite leaves: (long slim plants up to 48”, and leaves narrow and widely spaced)  Flowers green with small or no horns  on hoods. Leaves droop and may curl or twist. Leaves can be 8” or more long. (Linearis and stenophylla look a lot like verticillata with small differences in leaves and flowers (best seen in closeup for differences)

Engelmanniana looks weird—long and leggy with drooping twisting leaves. Its flowers are almost same as A. stenophylla.)

 

Not Slim-leafed milkweeds:

Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa--- Identifyng features: has orange/yellow flowers, and stiff, hairy stems and leaves, prefers acid soils.

 

Green milkweed, Asclepias viridiflora--- Identifyng features: has flower clusters that hang down, hoods clasp crown—color and leaves vary a lot

 

Antelope-Horns Milkweed, Asclepias asperula--- Identifyng features: A. asperula and Asclepias viridis are very similar in flower, with spreading club shaped hoods, but A. asperula has narrower, pointed leaves and a sprawling habit, and more maroon on hoods. A. viridis has oval leaves and is more upright, with lavender hoods. The hoods on A. asperula go all the way to the ends of the petals, but hose on A.  viridis stop well inside the edge of the flower.

 

Sidecluster Milkweed, Zizotes Milkweed, Asclepias oenotheroides --- Identifyng features: Recently found in Collin County, more common in the western 2/3 of Texas. Upright to sprawling habit with single or multiple stems. Flowers greenish, in loose clusters, have hoods (with horns) that extend well above the gynostegium. Plant smells strongly of burnt rubber when touched.

More information, go to:                           

•  Project Monarch Health
• Xerces.org has a milkweed seed finder
• Monarch Watch’s Milkweed Market
• https://www.monarchparasites.org
• https://www.journeynorth.org
• https://www.nwf.org/monarchstewards
• https://blog.nwf.org/2021/08/from-backyard-monarch-enthusiast-to-citizen-community-scientist/?
• https://youtu.be/dAZ7KTpiRR4

 References                                                             

 ITIS Integrated Taxonomy Information System

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All material © 2021 Hyden Photography 

for

~Grassroots Horticulture~

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Milkweed Seed Pods

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Butterfly Gardening Botanical Identification

CREATING wildlife Habitats

FWBG, BRIT, Fort Worth, Texas Photograph

Jeanette Hyden

Green Milkweed, Antelope horn milkweed  (Asclepias viridis)

Green milkweed pods are usually erect, 2 ½ -5 in (6-13 cm) long and ½ – ¾ in (1-2 cm) wide. 

Milkweed is a host plant to the Monarch butterfly larvae.

FWBG, BRIT, Fort Worth, Texas

Photograph: Jeanette Hyden

Green Milkweed, Antelope horn milkweed  (Asclepias viridis)

A silky, hair-like structure assists in dispersing the seeds when the pods break open.  

BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION, MILKWEED FRUITS AND SEEDS FROM PLANTS ILLUSTRATED.ORG

Asclepias species produce their seeds in pods termed follicles. The seeds, which are arranged in overlapping rows, bear a cluster of white, silky, filament-like hairs known as the coma (12) (often referred to by other names such as pappus, "floss", "plume", or "silk"). The follicles ripen and split open, and the seeds, each carried by its coma, are blown by the wind. Some, but not all, milkweeds also reproduce by clonal (or vegetative) reproduction. In botany, a follicle is a dry unilocular fruit formed from one carpel, containing two or more seeds. It is usually defined as dehiscing by a suture in order to release seeds.

floral morphology of plants in the genus Asclepias.Asclepias are often in clusters, with all of the flower stalks originating from a single point (an umbel).  The flowers are bisexual and actinomorphic (remember what that means from the Flower Symmetry  Each individual flower has a five-parted calyx (sepals) and a five-parted corolla (petals).  Pretty normal so far, but here’s where the flowers get interesting.  Each flower often has a corona (translated: crown) arising from the middle of the corolla.  The corona can look different on different species, but it often has five upright hoods that can be mistaken for petals.  Each hood often contains a pointed, incurved horn, also known as a crest or beak.  Surrounded by the five hoods is the gynostegium (2) which is a compound structure that includes the fused column of the stamens (male reproductive parts) and the heads of the styles (part of the female reproductive parts).  This is where the magic happens, folks.  The anthers (pollen-bearing portion of the stamens) are split into two halves, and each two adjacent half-anthers  connected at the corpusculum (a gland that assists in transporting pollen).  Unlike plants in most other genera, in which the pollen consists of individual grains or small groups of grains, the pollen in Asclepias is grouped into waxy masses known as pollinia (pollen sacs).  When an insect visits a milkweed flower for nectar (contained within the hoods), its legs slip into the crevices created by two adjacent half-anthers.  In the process, it unknowingly picks up a pair of pollinia that it takes to the next milkweed flower that it visits.  As its leg again slips into the crevice, it can distribute the pollinia if that crevice is vacant.  The pollinia need to be placed precisely into the crevice or pollination will not take place.

All material © 2021 by Jeanette Hyden for Grassroots Horticulture

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