Kingdom Plantae Family Apocynaceae Genus Asclepias Higher classification Milkweed | Order Gentianales Subfamily Asclepiadoideae Scientific name Asclepias erosa Rank Species | |
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Similar Milkweed, Asclepias californica, Asclepias eriocarpa, Asclepias subulata, Asclepias albicans | ||
Asclepias erosa is a species of milkweed known commonly as desert milkweed. It is native to southern California, Arizona, and northern Baja California, where it is most abundant in the desert regions.
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Description
This milkweed, Asclepias erosa, is a perennial herb with erect yellow-green stems and foliage in shades of pale whitish-green to dark green with white veining. It may be hairless to very fuzzy. The sturdy, pointed leaves grow opposite on the stout stem. Atop the stem is a rounded umbel of yellowish or cream-colored flowers. Each flower has thick, reflexed corollas beneath a flower center composed of rounded, horned filaments.
Uses
The plant is filled with a viscous sap that was roasted to a solid and enjoyed as a sort of chewing gum by local Native American groups.
Butterflies
Asclepias erosa is a specific monarch butterfly food and habitat plant.
