Asclepiadaceae
Milkweed Family
Pleurisy-root
Asclepias tuberosa L.
- Stem: perennial; 2 1/2’ to 3 1/2’ tall; unbranched; densely hairy; without milky juice.
- Leaves: alternate; elongate with chordate base and tapering tip; 3” by 1/2”; smooth-edged; hairy above and below.
- Inflorescence: umbels from stem-tip and upper (and sometimes middle) leaf axils, producing corymbiform inflorescence; twelve to fifteen flowers per umbel.
- Flowers: bright orange with petals 1/4” long and reflexed, hoods 3/16” tall; flowering extends from mid-June to mid-August.
- Fruits: seedpod is a follicle; 4” long by 3/8” in diameter; hairy with a long, tapering beak; seeds are flat, brown, 1/4” by 3/16”, with a tuft of hairs at one end; fruits become evident in mid-July, and seed release begins in early August; plants often fail to set fruits.
- Habitat: infrequent, mostly on dry prairies but also found in the Loess Hills and on moist prairies; often associated with some disturbance.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
