Asclepias asperula

Antelope horns
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Subfamily:	Asclepiadoideae
Genus:	Asclepias
Species:	A. asperula
Binomial name
	Asclepias asperula;
Synonyms
	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

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

External links

Native Plant Information Network

This Apocynaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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

[1]