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{{redirect|Milkweed}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Milkweeds
| image = Asclepias1810.JPG
| image_width = 200px
| image_caption = ''Asclepias tuberosa'' in bloom, showing [[pollinator]]s
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Gentianales]]
| familia = [[Apocynaceae]]
| subfamilia = [[Asclepiadoideae]]
| genus = '''''Asclepias'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
See text.
}}
'''''Asclepias''''' [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] (1753), the '''milkweeds''', is a [[genus]] of herbaceous [[perennial]], [[dicotyledon]]ous [[plant]]s that contains over 140 known species. It used to belong to the [[family (biology)|family]] Asclepiadaceae, but this is now classified as a [[subfamily]] [[Asclepiadoideae]] of the dogbane family [[Apocynaceae]].
Milkweeds are an important nectar source for [[bee]]s and other nectar seeking insects, and a larval food source for [[Monarch butterfly|monarch butterflies]] and their relatives, as well as a variety of other herbivorous insects (including numerous [[beetle]]s, [[moth]]s, and [[true bug]]s) specialized to feed on the plants despite their chemical defenses. Milkweed is named for its milky juice, which contains [[alkaloids]], [[caoutchouc]], and several other complex compounds including [[cardenolide]]s. Some species are known to be [[toxic]].
[[Carolus Linnaeus]] named the genus after [[Asclepius]], the Greek god of healing, because of the many folk-medicinal uses for the milkweed plants.
[[Pollination]] in this genus is accomplished in an unusual manner, as the [[pollen]] is grouped into complex structures called [[pollinia]] (or "pollen sacs"), rather than being individual grains, as is typical for plant pollen. The flower petals are smooth and rigid, and the feet of visiting insects (predominantly large [[wasp]]s, such as [[spider wasp]]s, which visit the plants for nectar) slip into notches in the flowers, where the sticky bases of the pollinia attach to the feet, pulling the pollen sacs free when the pollinator flies off. [[Bee]]s, including [[Western honey bee|honey bees]] only gather nectar from milkweed flowers, and are generally not effective pollinators despite the frequency of visitation.
Species in the ''Asclepias'' genus grow their [[seed]]s in [[pod]]s. These seed pods contain soft filaments known as either ''silk'' or ''floss''. The filaments are attached to individual seeds. When the seed pod ripens, the seeds are blown by the wind, each carried by several filaments.
==Species==
Some '''''Asclepias''''' species:
{| class="wikitable"
| || ''[[Asclepias acida]]'' || Possibly used to create [[Soma]].
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias amplexicaulis]]'' || Blunt-leaved milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias asperula - Antelope Horns.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias asperula]]'' || [[Asclepias asperula|Antelope horns]]
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias curassavica crop.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias curassavica]]'' || Scarlet milkweed, Bloodroot, Bastard Ipecacuanha
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias exaltata]]'' || Poke milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias fascicularis flowers 2003-06-05.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias fascicularis]]'' || Narrow leaf milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias humistrata]]'' || Sandhill milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Ascelpias incarnata.jpg|120px]]|| ''[[Asclepias incarnata]]'' || [[Swamp Milkweed|Swamp milkweed]]
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias lanceolata]]'' || Lanceolate milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias linearis]]''
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias obovata]]''
|-
| [[Image:Gomphocarpus physocarpus 1.jpg|120px]]|| ''[[Asclepias physocarpa]]'' || Gomphocarpus physocarpus, commonly balloonplant, balloon cotton-bush or swan plant
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias purpurascens1.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias purpurascens]]'' || Purple milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias quadrifolia]]'' || Four-leaved milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias rubra]]'' || Red milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias speciosa]]'' || Showy milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias subulata flowers 2.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias subulata]]'' || Rush milkweed(Leafles
s milkweed)
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias sullivantii]]'' || Sullivant's milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Common milkweed-tracy.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias syriaca]]'' || [[Common Milkweed|Common milkweed]]
|-
| [[Image:Butterfly Weed Entire Flower Head 2608px.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias tuberosa]]'' || [[Butterfly weed]], Pleurisy root
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias variegata]]'' || White milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias verticillata]]'' || Whorled milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias vincetoxicum]]''
|-
|}
[[Image:Milkweed4043.JPG|thumb|200px|''Asclepias syriaca'' seed pods<br>[[Baldwinsville, New York]]]]
[[Image:milkweed-in-seed2.jpg|thumb|200px|left| Seeds.]]
==Uses==
These milkweed filaments or ''floss'' are coated with [[wax]], and have good [[Thermal insulation|insulation]] qualities. Tests have shown them to be superior to [[down feathers]] for insulation. During [[World War II]], over 11 million [[pound (mass)|pounds]] (5000 t) of milkweed floss were collected in the [[United States]] as a substitute for [[kapok]].
In the past, the high dextrose content of the nectar led to milkweed's use as a source of sweetener for [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] and [[Coureur des bois | voyageur]]s.
The [[bast (biology)|bast]] fibers of some species were also used for cordage.
Milkweed latex contains about 1 to 2% [[caoutchouc]], and was attempted as a natural source for rubber by both [[Germany]] and the United States during World War II. No record has been found of large-scale success.
Milkweed is a common folk remedy used for removing [[wart]]s. Milkweed sap is applied directly to the wart several times daily until the wart falls off. [[Dandelion]] sap is often used in the same manner.
Milkweed is [[beneficial weed|beneficial]] to nearby plants, repelling some pests, especially [[wireworm]]s.
Milkweed also contains cardiac glycoside poisons which inhibit animal cells from maintaining a proper K<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>+</sup> concentration gradient. As a result many natives of South America and Africa used arrows poisoned with these glycosides to fight and hunt more effectively.
==See also==
* [[List of beneficial weeds]]
* [[List of companion plants]]
== External links ==
* [http://www.terapeta.net/asclepias.pdf Medical research]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-428.html Milkweed test-cultivated for the insulation value of floss]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Asclepias_syriaca.html Milkweed in ''Handbook of Energy Crops'']
* [http://www.wiu.edu/AltCrops/milkweed.htm Common milkweed production research at Western Illinois University]
*[http://herbarium.uvsc.edu/Virtual/search.asp?s=genus&p=1&n=1386&t=Asclepias UVSC Herbarium - Asclepias]
{{commonscat|Apocynaceae}}
[[Category:Apocynaceae]]
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Milkweeds
| image = Asclepias1810.JPG
| image_width = 200px
| image_caption = ''Asclepias tuberosa'' in bloom, showing [[pollinator]]s
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Gentianales]]
| familia = [[Apocynaceae]]
| subfamilia = [[Asclepiadoideae]]
| genus = '''''Asclepias'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
See text.
}}
'''''Asclepias''''' [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] (1753), the '''milkweeds''', is a [[genus]] of herbaceous [[perennial]], [[dicotyledon]]ous [[plant]]s that contains over 140 known species. It used to belong to the [[family (biology)|family]] Asclepiadaceae, but this is now classified as a [[subfamily]] [[Asclepiadoideae]] of the dogbane family [[Apocynaceae]].
Milkweeds are an important nectar source for [[bee]]s and other nectar seeking insects, and a larval food source for [[Monarch butterfly|monarch butterflies]] and their relatives, as well as a variety of other herbivorous insects (including numerous [[beetle]]s, [[moth]]s, and [[true bug]]s) specialized to feed on the plants despite their chemical defenses. Milkweed is named for its milky juice, which contains [[alkaloids]], [[caoutchouc]], and several other complex compounds including [[cardenolide]]s. Some species are known to be [[toxic]].
[[Carolus Linnaeus]] named the genus after [[Asclepius]], the Greek god of healing, because of the many folk-medicinal uses for the milkweed plants.
[[Pollination]] in this genus is accomplished in an unusual manner, as the [[pollen]] is grouped into complex structures called [[pollinia]] (or "pollen sacs"), rather than being individual grains, as is typical for plant pollen. The flower petals are smooth and rigid, and the feet of visiting insects (predominantly large [[wasp]]s, such as [[spider wasp]]s, which visit the plants for nectar) slip into notches in the flowers, where the sticky bases of the pollinia attach to the feet, pulling the pollen sacs free when the pollinator flies off. [[Bee]]s, including [[Western honey bee|honey bees]] only gather nectar from milkweed flowers, and are generally not effective pollinators despite the frequency of visitation.
Species in the ''Asclepias'' genus grow their [[seed]]s in [[pod]]s. These seed pods contain soft filaments known as either ''silk'' or ''floss''. The filaments are attached to individual seeds. When the seed pod ripens, the seeds are blown by the wind, each carried by several filaments.
==Species==
Some '''''Asclepias''''' species:
{| class="wikitable"
| || ''[[Asclepias acida]]'' || Possibly used to create [[Soma]].
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias amplexicaulis]]'' || Blunt-leaved milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias asperula - Antelope Horns.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias asperula]]'' || [[Asclepias asperula|Antelope horns]]
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias curassavica crop.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias curassavica]]'' || Scarlet milkweed, Bloodroot, Bastard Ipecacuanha
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias exaltata]]'' || Poke milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias fascicularis flowers 2003-06-05.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias fascicularis]]'' || Narrow leaf milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias humistrata]]'' || Sandhill milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Ascelpias incarnata.jpg|120px]]|| ''[[Asclepias incarnata]]'' || [[Swamp Milkweed|Swamp milkweed]]
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias lanceolata]]'' || Lanceolate milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias linearis]]''
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias obovata]]''
|-
| [[Image:Gomphocarpus physocarpus 1.jpg|120px]]|| ''[[Asclepias physocarpa]]'' || Gomphocarpus physocarpus, commonly balloonplant, balloon cotton-bush or swan plant
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias purpurascens1.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias purpurascens]]'' || Purple milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias quadrifolia]]'' || Four-leaved milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias rubra]]'' || Red milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias speciosa]]'' || Showy milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Asclepias subulata flowers 2.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias subulata]]'' || Rush milkweed(Leafles
s milkweed)
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias sullivantii]]'' || Sullivant's milkweed
|-
| [[Image:Common milkweed-tracy.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias syriaca]]'' || [[Common Milkweed|Common milkweed]]
|-
| [[Image:Butterfly Weed Entire Flower Head 2608px.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Asclepias tuberosa]]'' || [[Butterfly weed]], Pleurisy root
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias variegata]]'' || White milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias verticillata]]'' || Whorled milkweed
|-
| || ''[[Asclepias vincetoxicum]]''
|-
|}
[[Image:Milkweed4043.JPG|thumb|200px|''Asclepias syriaca'' seed pods<br>[[Baldwinsville, New York]]]]
[[Image:milkweed-in-seed2.jpg|thumb|200px|left| Seeds.]]
==Uses==
These milkweed filaments or ''floss'' are coated with [[wax]], and have good [[Thermal insulation|insulation]] qualities. Tests have shown them to be superior to [[down feathers]] for insulation. During [[World War II]], over 11 million [[pound (mass)|pounds]] (5000 t) of milkweed floss were collected in the [[United States]] as a substitute for [[kapok]].
In the past, the high dextrose content of the nectar led to milkweed's use as a source of sweetener for [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] and [[Coureur des bois | voyageur]]s.
The [[bast (biology)|bast]] fibers of some species were also used for cordage.
Milkweed latex contains about 1 to 2% [[caoutchouc]], and was attempted as a natural source for rubber by both [[Germany]] and the United States during World War II. No record has been found of large-scale success.
Milkweed is a common folk remedy used for removing [[wart]]s. Milkweed sap is applied directly to the wart several times daily until the wart falls off. [[Dandelion]] sap is often used in the same manner.
Milkweed is [[beneficial weed|beneficial]] to nearby plants, repelling some pests, especially [[wireworm]]s.
Milkweed also contains cardiac glycoside poisons which inhibit animal cells from maintaining a proper K<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>+</sup> concentration gradient. As a result many natives of South America and Africa used arrows poisoned with these glycosides to fight and hunt more effectively.
==See also==
* [[List of beneficial weeds]]
* [[List of companion plants]]
== External links ==
* [http://www.terapeta.net/asclepias.pdf Medical research]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-428.html Milkweed test-cultivated for the insulation value of floss]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Asclepias_syriaca.html Milkweed in ''Handbook of Energy Crops'']
* [http://www.wiu.edu/AltCrops/milkweed.htm Common milkweed production research at Western Illinois University]
*[http://herbarium.uvsc.edu/Virtual/search.asp?s=genus&p=1&n=1386&t=Asclepias UVSC Herbarium - Asclepias]
{{commonscat|Apocynaceae}}
[[Category:Apocynaceae]]