flDilkweet) Jfamil^. 



Butterfly Weed. Asclepias tuberosa. 



Orange Milkweed. 

 Pleurisy Root. 



Found in dry pastures and fields in July. 



The stalk branches often for the flowers ; it is leafy, and gi'ows 

 from 2 to 3 feet high, with a strong fibre, its surface is hairy and its 

 color is a strong green, purplish near the foot, and red-orange below the 

 flower-clusters. The juice is not milky. 



The long narrow leaf is somewhat blunt-pointed at the tip and 

 heart-shaped at the base, with an entire margin, and a strong midrib; 

 its fibre is strong and coarse, the veins showing, and it is hairy under- 

 neath and downy above ; the color is' a full green, much toned with 

 orange. The leaves are set on short stems, and placed near together, 

 alternately, and with an upward inclination. 



The flower is small and long; the crown is set up high on its 

 slender neck, its hoods short and narrow, and yet somewhat longer than 

 the fine-pointed straight horns, — in color a splendid glowing orange ; 

 the narrow, fine-pointed lobes are slightly curling, and bright yellow; 

 the calyx is unobservable. The flowers are set on slender, i-ather long, 

 light green foot-stems, forming a loose flat-topped cluster ; the clusters 

 being arranged in a leafy tei'minal group. 



As many as eighteen clusters have been counted upon a single 

 stalk. The color scheme of this plant is especially good ; the green 

 betrays the same tawny tone which belongs to the gorgeous flowers. 



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