4. Asclepias rubra L. Fig. 634. 



Herbaceous perennial; stems rather slender, 4-10 dm. tall, simple, glabrous 

 or very inconspicuously pilosulose in decurrent lines from the nodes; leaves 

 opposite, sessile or subsessile, broadly ovate to narrowly lanceolate, acute to 

 acuminate at apex, rounded to somewhat cordate at base, 5-16 cm. long, to 65 

 mm. broad, firmly membranaceous, glabrous, dark-green above, glaucous beneath; 

 inflorescences terminal and lateral from the uppermost nodes, commonly paired 

 when terminal, several- to many-flowered; peduncles 3-10 cm. long; pedicels 

 1-1.5 cm. long; flowers moderately large; calyx lobes lance-trigonal, about 3 mm. 

 long, glabrous; corolla reflexed-rotate, dull-red to purplish or lavender, the lobes 

 8-9 mm. long; gynostegium stipitate, usually pinkish-cream or purplish; column 

 cylindrical, about 2 mm. long and broad; hoods lanceolate, acute, 6-7 mm. long; 

 horn basal, narrowly acicular, somewhat shorter than the hoods, gradually arching 

 over the anther head; anther head narrowly conic, about 3 mm. long and broad, 

 with entire or very inconspicuously notched wings; follicles erect on deflexed 

 pedicels, rather narrowly fusiform, 8-12 cm. long and 15 mm. thick, smooth, 

 glabrous; seeds broadly oval, about 7 mm. long, the white coma about 4 cm. long. 



Bogs, marshes, wet meadows and low pine barrens in e. Tex., May-Aug.; from 

 N.J., s. to Ga., Ala., La. and Tex. 



5. Asclepias lanceolata Walt. Fig. 635. 



Herbaceous perennial from rather tuberous rootstalks; stems relatively slender, 

 simple, 5-12 dm. tall, glabrous or essentially so; leaves opposite, linear-lanceolate, 

 narrowly acuminate at apex, acute to obtuse at the base, 7-25 cm. long, to 17 mm. 

 broad, firmly membranaceous, glabrous, somewhat glaucous beneath; inflores- 

 cences terminal, solitary or paired, few-flowered; peduncles 15-75 mm. long; 

 pedicels 1-2 cm. long; flowers moderately large; calyx lobes lance-trigonal, 2.5-4 

 mm. long; corolla reflexed-rotate, dull-red, the lobes 9-10 mm. long; gynostegium 

 stipitate, yellow, orange or reddish; column cylindrical, about 2 mm. long and 

 1.5 mm. broad; hoods broadly oblong, rounded at the tip, 5-6 mm. long; horn 

 basal, narrowly acicular, somewhat shorter than the hood, arching over the anther 

 head; anther head narrowly conic, about 3 mm. long and 2.5 mm. broad, the 

 wings conspicuously spurred at the base; follicles erect on deflexed pedicels, nar- 

 rowly fusiform, 8-10 cm. long, about 1 cm. thick, smooth, glabrous; seeds broadly 

 oval, about 1 cm. long, the coma about 35 mm. long. Incl. var. pauper cula 

 (Michx.) Fern. 



Brackish to fresh marshes, wet pine barrens and low glades in s.e. Tex., May- 

 Aug.; from s. N.J., s. to Fla. and w. to Tex. 



6. Asclepias subverticillata (Gray) Vail. 



Herbaceous perennial from rather stout woody rootstalks; stems to 12 dm. tall, 

 almost invariably with sterile dwarf microphyllous branches, occasionally simple, 

 more or less puberulent in decurrent lines from the nodes, occasionally quite 

 glabrous; leaves predominantly 3 to 5 in whorls but occasionally opposite above 

 on the flowering stems, shortly petiolate, linear, 2-13 cm. long, 1-4 mm. broad, 

 membranaceous, glabrous to inconspicuously pilosulose, those of the sterile dwarf 

 branches opposite and much-reduced and giving the plant a heterophyllous aspect; 

 petioles 1-2 mm. long; inflorescences usually solitary at the upper nodes, rarely 

 paired, several- to many-flowered; peduncle slender, 1.5-3 cm. long; pedicels 

 slender, 5-8 mm. long; flowers relatively small; calyx lobes narrowly trigonal, 

 1.5-2 mm. long, inconspicuously pilosulose to glabrate; corolla reflexed-rotate. 

 white, rarely slightly suffused with greenish-purple, the lobes 3-5 mm. long; 

 gynostegium narrowly stipitate, white; column cylindrical, about 1 mm. long and 

 slightly narrower; hoods cucullate, oval, about 1.5 mm. long; horn basal, narrowly 



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