Flower ID: IMG_6974.JPG-06-16-2021 Flower name (scientific): Asclepias viridiflora Rafinesque PY: 1808. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) as-KLEE-pee-as veer-id-ih-FLORE-uh Flower name (common): Green 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 viridi for green and flora for flower, hence green-flowered. Common name origin: Flower description: Green from the flower color and milkweed from the common name of the plants in the Asclepias genus. Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm) wide, 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) long. Petal count: 5 Color: green Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-spherical Plant description: Size: 12 to 36 inches (30 to 91 cm) Stem hairy: pubescent, with short hairs. Other: Leaf description: attachment is opposite, type is simple Size: Leaves up to 12 to 15 cm long and 1 to 6 cm wide. Color: Medium green. Hairy: Glabrous to sparsely hairy, typically along the midvein on the leaf undersurface. Other: Shape: leaf, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate (IL) or broadly oblong (FW) Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon Bloom time (typical): June to August Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial Habitat: Prairies, woodland margins, sun, dry, sandy soil. Fruit: Green colored follicles up to about 15 cm in length, erect or ascending, and narrowly lanceolate in shape. Seed: Seeds about 5 to 7 mm long, winged, dark brown colored, and have a tuft of white hairs to aid in seed dispersal in the wind. Importance to wildlife: Similar species (if any): Asclepias viridiflora has a slight resemblance to Asclepias meadii (Mead's Milkweed), but the latter has flowers that are broader and have horns, and this species is rare and believed extirpated in Wisconsin. Asclepias hirtella (Prairie Milkweed) also has a resemblance, but it has inflorescences that are fairly dense with flowers and more narrow shaped leaves compared with A. viridiflora. Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes from Wisconsin. The Blackfoot used this plant for several medicinal purposes including as an antirheumatic, dermatological aid, eye medicine, pediatric aid, and throat aid, and they also used this species as a food source. The Lakota employed the plant as an antidiarrheal, gynecological aid, and a pediatric aid (Moerman, p. 110, 1998). Latitude: 44.796238 Longitude: -91.513428 Altitude: 267.20 Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Buffalo, Burnett, Columbia, Dane, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jackson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Waukesha, Waushara, Wood) Click here for distribution map In US: (AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV, WY) In Canada: (AB, BC, MB, ON, SK) References: Synonym(s): Basionym: na Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 2 homotypic synonyms for this species. Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 10 heterotypic synonyms for this species. Autonym: na