MILKWEED FAMILY 
( Asclepiadacece) 
A family of stout-stemmed plants having milky juices 
and, usually, large opposite or whorled leaves. Each 
blossom has five tiny structures shaped like wish-bones, 
with pollen masses on each end. They are so placed that 
the visiting bee or butterfly is pretty sure of getting 
one or more of its legs caught in the sharp angle at 
the apex and must, in order to get free, tear the tiny 
arrangement from its support. He then flies to the 
next plant with this dangling from his legs. 
Butterfly-weed ; Pleurisy-root; Orange Mile- 
Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is the mosc brilliantly col¬ 
ored species of the genus. 
The stem of butterfly-weed is usually erect, from 1 to 
3 feet high; it is rather rough and has but little of 
the milky juices so common to the other species. The 
leaves are pointed-oblong, very short-stemmed or seated 
oppositely. The beautiful orange flowers grow in flat- 
topped clusters or umbels, at the -summit of the plant. 
It is found from Mass, to Minn, and southwards. 
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