Asclepiadaceae
Milkweed Family
Asclepias syriaca L.
- Stem: perennial; 2’ to 3’ tall; unbranched; hairy; with milky juice in the stem and leaves.
- Leaves: opposite; oval with rounded base and tip; 4 1/2” by 2 1/2”; hairy above and below; leaf stalk 1/4” to 1/2”.
- Inflorescence: many-flowered umbels (up to 100 flowers) from the stem tip and upper leaf axils; on hairy stalks.
- Flowers: pink, fragrant flowers, petals 1/4” long and reflexed, hoods 1/4” tall with protruding horns; flowering from late June to late July.
- Fruits: seedpod is a follicle; 4” long by 1” in diameter, tapering to a curved tip; surface warty and covered with fine hairs; seeds 1/4” by 1/8”, flat, brown with a tuft of white hairs at one end; fruiting begins in late July, and seed release begins about mid-September.
- Habitat: frequent in moist to mesic open places with some disturbance; not common on prairies.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
