Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_4026.JPG-06-23-2020
Flower name (scientific): Asclepias tuberosa Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) as-KLEE-pee-as too-ber-OH-sah
Flower name (common): Butterfly Milkweed
Family name (common): Dogbane
Family name (scientific): Apocynaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From the Ancient Greek Ásklēpiós (Asklepios), God of healing (medicine).
    Specific epithet: From the Latin for tuberous, referring to some species of Asclepias having tubers.
Common name origin: The plant is often visited and attractive to butterflies. Milkweed is a misnomer for this species since the damaged stems or leaves do not yield a milky sap. For this reason the plant is frequently called Butterfly-weed.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.3 to 0.7 inches (0.8 to 1.8 cm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: orange
     Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-flat
Plant description:
     Size: 12 to 36 inches (30 to 91 cm)
     Stem hairy: densely hairy.
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple
     Size: Leaves are typically 6 to 9 cm long and 1 to 2 com wide, but may be up to 15 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.
     Color: Upper surface medium green, lower surface pale green.
     Hairy: Upper surface pubescent, lower surface pubescent, particularly along the veins.
     Other: Shape: leaf, linear-oblong to lanceolate-oblong (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): June to Setember
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Prairies, woods, fields, disturbed sites, waste ground, roadsides, sun, dry to moderate moisture.
Fruit: Green to brownish colored follicles up to about 15 cm in length, typically erect, and narrowly lanceolate in shape.
Seed: Seeds about 5 to 7 mm long, tan-colored wing, darker brown center, and a tuft of white hairs to aid in seed dispersal in the wind.
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes.
Ethnobotany: The Menominee used this plant as a dematological aid and as an orthopedic aid (Smith, p. 25, 1923). At least nine other Native American tribes employed this plant for medicinal purposes (Moerman, p. 109, 1998). The Meskwaki employed the plant to produce a red dye (Smith, p. 205, 1928).
Latitude: 44.796010
Longitude: -91.513297
Altitude: 272.00
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (ON, QC) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym: na
Heterotypic Synonym: na
Autonym( ): Asclepias tuberosa subsp. tuberosa (The other accepted infraspecifics are Asclepias tuberosa subsp. interior Woodson, Asclepias tuberosa subsp. rolfsii (Britton ex Vail) Woodson. Both these subspecies are found in North America.)
Wetland Status (NC): Not listed
Wetland Status (MW): Not listed