Asclepias

Asclepias or milkweeds are peculiar flowers that are very easy to recognize due to their unusual shape. Asclepias as the name suggests are named after a Greek god of medicine. The common name milkweed refers to milky sap that the plant exudes if you break its leaf or stem. The plant is supposed to be medicinal.

Asclepias belong to dogbane family (Apocynaceae) among whose members we encounter species like plumeria and vinca (periwinkle). Lots of species of this family has milky juice and are toxic if ingested. Lots of plant are tropical species.

You can see the shape of the plant in the pictures. The structure of the flower remains the same in all the species though the shape of leaves and colour of flowers vary. Below you can see species of Asclepias fascicularis or narrow leaf milkweed.

Acclepias growing near the curb

Close-up of flower heads

Close-up of flowers. Notice inverted sepals.

Milkweeds are drought-tolerant and grow well in hot dry countries.