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Most Excellent Weed Gallery

Milkweed Family

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Milkweeds are a cool group of "weeds". They attract many kinds of butterflies. Monarch butterfly larva only eat milkweed and collect the toxins in their system to keep from being eaten. Milkweeds have flowers clusters which produces one pod filled with "silk" and seeds.

Asclepias - When an insect lands on the flower, it touches hairs that trigger a squirt of "glue" then pollinia (capsules of pollen). The stigma is covered to prevent self-pollination.


Antelope Horns, Asclepias asperula (2)   Antelope Horns, Asclepias asperula (3)   Antelope Horns, Asclepias asperula   Antelope Horns, Asclepias asperula (1)   Antelope Horns, Asclepias asperula (4)   Antelope Horns, Asclepias asperula (5)   Antelope Horns, Asclepias asperula (11)

Asclepiadaceae (Asclepiodora) - Milkweed family
Antelope Horns (Spider Antelope Horns Milkweed) Asclepias asperula
Individual flower about 1/2" wide with clusters about 4" wide. Someplant's clusters are not as densely packed. Seed pod about 2 1/2" long with one face missing.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004
Pod photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2004
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Jones, Shackelford, Callahan, Coleman, Brown, Coke)

Similar Species

Green Antelope Horns (Spider Milkweed) Asclepias viridis
"Horns" are redder. Hood petals are twice as long and greener. Leaves are rounder and less hairy.
(Native of Texas - Coleman)



Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides (6)   Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides (4)   Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides (2)   Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides   Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides (7)   Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides (12)   Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides (9)

Asclepiadaceae (Asclepiodora) - Milkweed family
Zizotes (Hierba de Zizotes) Asclepias oenotheroides
Each green flower about 3/4" wide and tall in clusters. Plant shown about 12"tall. Leaves are 4-6" long. Sometimes leaf edges are reddish. 2" long pod grows upright.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Coleman, Brown, Coke)



Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (5)   Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (6)   Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (7)   Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (11)   Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (12)   Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (4)   Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (10)   Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (9)   Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora (8)

Asclepiadaceae (Asclepiodora) - Milkweed family
Green Comet Milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
Each green flower about 3/16" wide in clusters 1"-3" wide. Plant shown about 24"tall. Leaves are thick and hairy. Single stem has reddish tint. Each flower cluster produces one pod. Pods are are about 4" long.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2004, June 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Coleman, Brown, Coke)



Broadleaf Milkweed, Asclepias latifolia (1)   Broadleaf Milkweed, Asclepias latifolia (4)   Broadleaf Milkweed, Asclepias latifolia (6)   Broadleaf Milkweed, Asclepias latifolia (8)   Broadleaf Milkweed, Asclepias latifolia (7)   Broadleaf Milkweed, Asclepias latifolia (14)   Broadleaf Milkweed, Asclepias latifolia (16)

Asclepiadaceae (Asclepiodora) - Milkweed family
Broadleaf Milkweed (Green Milkweed) Asclepias latifolia
Flower clusters about 2"-4" wide. Flowers are about 1/4" wide and 1/2" long. Plant shown about 14" tall. Thick leaves spiral up the central stem and are about 4" wide. Flat, 2" long pod has two halves with seed fluff inside.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2004
Flower photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Coleman, Runnels, Coke, Nolan)



Engelmann's Milkweed, Asclepias engelmanniana   Engelmann's Milkweed, Asclepias engelmanniana (2)   Engelmann's Milkweed, Asclepias engelmanniana (1)

Asclepiadaceae (Asclepiodora) - Milkweed family
Engelmann's Milkweed Asclepias engelmanniana
Flower clusters about 2" wide. Flowers are about 3/8" wide. Plant shown about 14" tall. Two, 2" long, very narrow leaves at nodes up the central stem.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Coleman, Brown, Runnels, Coke)


Other Species in My Area

Sand Milkweed Asclepias arenaria
Upright plant. Large leaf, end in blunt. Flowers like Antelope Horns.
(Native of Texas - Coleman, Coke)


Emory's Milkweed Asclepias emoryi
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Coleman, Nolan)


Butterfly Milkweed (Chiggerflower) Asclepias tuberosa ssp. interior
Flower cluster, multiple terminal, star flowers, red-orange-yellow variations. Upright plant from woody tuber, to 2 feet tall, single stems or branched. Green pods. Narrow pointed leaves, 3" long. Unlike most milkweeds: leaves are not opposite and stem has clear sap not milky sap. Slow growing but does overwinter well. Likes sand.
(Native of Texas - Callahan, Brown)



Also see:
milkvines

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