Asclepiadaceae
Milkweed Family
Asclepias verticillata L.
- Stem: perennial; 2’ to 2 1/2’ tall; unbranched; smooth; milky juice in the stem and leaves.
- Leaves: alternate; crowded; linear, 2” by 1/16”; lightly hairy above and below.
- Inflorescence: short-stalked umbels from the upper leaf axils; eight to ten flowers per umbel, two to ten umbels per plant; umbels about 1” across.
- Flowers: corolla white, the reflexed petals 1/8” long, hoods and horns above the petals 1/8” long; flowering from early July to late August.
- Fruits: seedpod is a follicle, 3 1/2” long by 1/4” in diameter, tapering to both ends; dark brown when mature; seeds are flat, 3/16” by 1/4”, with a tuft of cottony hairs at one end; fruiting begins in early August; seeds begin flying in mid-September.
- Habitat: common on mesic to dry prairies to moist prairies; also common on roadsides and in open places; often growing in patches.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
