Asclepias angustifolia

Asclepias angustifolia, commonly called the Arizona milkweed or talayote, is an endemic species of milkweed native only to Arizona.[1][2][3]

Asclepias angustifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:
A. angustifolia
Binomial name
Asclepias angustifolia
Asc. angustifolia
A. angustifolia, with known pollinator Ceratina sp. - Pat Mahon 2020

Description

The Arizona milkweed is a cold-hardy herbaceous perennial that forms a taproot, growing to 60–90 cm (24–35 in) in height. The stems arise from a single crown, and can be many.

Leaves - opposite, linear with short petioles, glabrous, 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) in length, 2–11 mm (0.079–0.433 in) in width; Inflorescence - 2–4 cm (0.79–1.57 in), erect umbel, single peduncle per node, with one or more peduncles per stem, typically borne towards the top of the stem; Flowers - 3 mm (0.12 in) in diameter and in length, pedicels 5 mm (0.20 in), horns extend beyond the hoods, corollas reflexed, flower color ranges from whitish to pink; Pods - slender, upright, 3.5–9 cm (1.4–3.5 in) long, containing few to many seeds; Seeds - ca. 4mm in length, attached to white silky coma c. 4 mm (0.16 in) in length.[4][5]

Ecology

Found at higher elevations (around 1,050 to 2,100 metres [3,440 to 6,890 ft]), it is known only from Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise counties in Arizona, United States. Native substrate mostly consists of dry rocky soils.[5] Habit includes riparian woodlands, floodplain meadows, cienega edges, canyons, and arroyo bottoms. It is considered rare in Arizona, and restricted to the borderlands. This species is a known host plant to the Monarch Butterfly.[1] It has been observed to be pollinated by small species of Carpenter Bees (Ceratina sp.).[6]

Cultivation

The Arizona milkweed is commercially available by both seed and propagated plants. Seed readily germinates, and mature flowering plants can be grown in as little as three months. Plants can be successfully grown in containers as small as a quart. This species is tolerant of excess watering and lack of watering, in which substrate has not been seen to be an important factor in growth. Substrates utilized have been both organic-rich and replacement to sandy loam profiles.[6] Cold hardiness has been noted to −12 °C (10 °F).[5]

References
  1. Pollinator Plants of the Desert Southwest, Native Milkweeds | https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/azpmctn12744.pdf
  2. "Asclepias angustifolia Schweigg". www.gbif.org. GBIF. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  3. "Taxonomy browser (Asclepias angustifolia)". www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  4. "Asclepias angustifolia, Arizona Milkweed, Southwest Desert Flora". southwestdesertflora.com. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  5. "Asclepias angustifolia | Bring Back The Monarchs". Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  6. Personal observations made by Pat Mahon - Pure Air Natives, St. Louis, MO - [email protected]
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