Asclepias asperula

Antelope horns
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Eudicots
Clade:Asterids
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Genus:Asclepias
Species: A. asperula
Binomial name
Asclepias asperula
(Decne.) Woodson
Synonyms[1]
  • Acerates asperula Decne.
  • Asclepias capricornu Woodson
  • Asclepias decumbens (Nutt.) K.Schum. nom. illeg.
  • Asclepiodora asperula (Decne.) E.Fourn.
  • Asclepiodora decumbens (Nutt.) A.Gray

Asclepias asperula is a species of milkweed native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its common names include antelope horns, green-flowered milkweed, and spider antelope horns.

Description

It is a perennial plant growing to 0.6–2 m (1–2 feet) tall, with clustered greenish-yellow flowers with maroon highlights. It blooms from April through June, and favors moist, sandy or rocky soil.

Monarch butterflies

Like several other species of milkweed, A. asperula is a food for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Along with being a source of nutrition for monarchs, the plants also contain toxic cardiac glycosides (Cardenolides) that the monarchs retain, making them unpalatable and poisonous to predators. For the same reason, A. asperula can be poisonous to livestock and other animals, including humans.

References

  1. ↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 12 April 2015.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.