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Asclepias amplexicaulis
Asclepias amplexicaulis Sm.
Clasping Milkweed, Bluntleaf Milkweed
Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: ASAM
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
These milkweed plants are stout, glabrous (without hairs) and usually grow erect 80 to 100 cm tall with upper leaves sessile, clasping the stem. The sap is milky. Leaves (75-150 mm long and 50-75 mm wide) are opposite; blades are thick and firm, broadly lanceolate to oblong, broadly notched at the base, broadly rounded or blunt at the tip with margins usually conspicuously wavy. Several pedicelled flowers occur in a showy umbel; greenish, tinged with purple or rose. The leaves and stems are also often tinged with purple.
Milkweed species are the food source for Monarch butterfly caterpillars.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Inflorescence: Umbel
Fruit Type: Follicle
Size Notes: Follicles 10-16 cm long, 1-2 cm thick.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Pink , Green , PurpleBloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: pinkish tan to greenish-purple
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WVNative Distribution: Southeast and east TX and west to East Cross Timbers; north to eastern Nebraska; eastern half of United States.
Native Habitat: Prefers sandy soils in open woods, roadsides and old fields.
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesSpecial Value to Bumble Bees
Special Value to Honey Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control
This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Natural Biodiversity - Johnstown, PA
Bibliography
Bibref 1227 - Milkweed, Monarchs and More: A Field Guide to the Invertebrate Community in the Milkweed Patch (2003) Rea, B.; Oberhauser, K; Quinn, M.Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Bibref 1295 - Wild Flowers of the Big Thicket, East Texas and Western Louisiana (1979) Ajilvsgi
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Additional resources
USDA: Find Asclepias amplexicaulis in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Asclepias amplexicaulis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Asclepias amplexicaulis
Metadata
Record Modified: 2017-05-10Research By: TWC Staff, NH