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General Description of the Milkweeds. 



The milkweeds are usually erect plants, little if at all branched, vary- 

 ing in height from one to several feet. The roots live over from year 

 to year, sending up new stems each season. The flowers are light- 

 colored, white tinged with green or pink; they grow in rounded clus- 

 ters, each flower stalk arising from the end of the stalk of the cluster. 



Figure 2 Pods and Seeds of the Narrow-Leaved Milkweed. 



Each flower has five cup-like structures (hoods), inside of which there 

 is a horn. 



The flowers fall and are followed by seed pods from one to three 

 inches long which open along one side when dry to .allow the seeds to 

 escape. The seeds are reddish-brown and flat; on one end there is 



