Pleurisy Root

''Asclepias tuberosa'', commonly known as butterfly weed, is a species of milkweed native to eastern and southwestern North America. It is commonly known as butterfly weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar.(1)
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Description

It is a perennial plant growing to tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, long, and broad.

From April to September, in the upper axils, –wide umbels of orange, yellow or red flowers wide appear. They each have five petals and five sepals. It is uncertain if reddish flowers are due to soil mineral content, ecotype genetic differentiation, or both. A cultivar named 'Hello Yellow' typically has more yellowish flowers than ordinary examples of this plant.

The fruit pod is long, containing many long-haired seeds.

Similar species

The plant looks similar to the lanceolate milkweed ('' Asclepias lanceolata''), but is uniquely identified by the larger number of flowers, and the hairy stems that are not milky when broken. It is most commonly found in fields with dry soil.
Tropical milkweed (''Asclepias curassavica'') can resemble ''Asclepias tuberosa'' in its red form but also lacks hairy stems.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

*''Asclepias tuberosa'' subsp. ''interior'' – (Central United States, Ontario and Quebec)
* ''Asclepias tuberosa'' subsp. ''rolfsii'' – Rolfs milkweed (Southeastern United States)
*''Asclepias tuberosa'' subsp. ''tuberosa'' – (Eastern United States)

Common names

Common names include butterfly weed, Canada root, chieger flower, chiggerflower, fluxroot, Indian paintbrush, Indian posy, orange milkweed, orange root, orange Swallow-wort, pleurisy root, silky swallow-wort, tuber root, yellow milkweed, white-root, windroot, butterfly love, butterflyweed, and butterfly milkweed.Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 138.

Distribution and habitat

The species can be found from South Dakota south to Texas and Mexico, west to Utah and Arizona, as well as many other areas further east.

This plant favors dry, sand or gravel soil, but has also been reported on stream margins. It requires full sun.

Ecology

Most easily propagated by seed. The primary pollinators are bees and wasps, rather than butterflies. Sown outdoors after frost, a plant will flower and produce seed in the third year. It is difficult to transplant once established, as it has a deep, woody taproot.

''A. tuberosa'' is a larval food plant of the queen and monarch butterflies, as well as the dogbane tiger moth, milkweed tussock moth, and the unexpected cycnia. Because of its rough leaves and trichomes, it is not a preferred host plant of the monarch butterfly but caterpillars can be reared on it successfully.. Further, it is one of the very lowest ''Asclepias'' species in cardenolide content, making it a poor source of protection from bird predation and parasite virulence and perhaps contributing to its lack of attractiveness to egg-laying monarchs.(1)
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Cultivation

Butterfly weed is frequently grown in gardens for its showy orange flowers which are especially attractive to bees, though also visited by hummingbirds, moths, and butterflies. It is easily grown from seeds and is difficult to transplant due to the size of its roots. Grown from seed plants will take about two to three years to reach flowering size in average conditions. The seeds do not require stratification and can be immediately planted, though in commercial growing they are generally moist stratified at 5 °C for 30–60 days because this increases the germination rate. For other milkweeds a thin layer of mulch a layer 1–2 cm thick increases the germination rate, though specific research on butterfly weed is lacking.

Butterfly weed has few serious pest or disease problems. It is susceptible to crown rot if planted in poorly drained or too constantly moist locations. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9.

Toxicity

The plant contains toxic glycosides, alkaloids and resinoids. These can cause weakness, seizures and corneal injuries. Use of the plant is contraindicated in pregnancy, during lactation or with infants due to its toxins, which include resinoids and pregnanes.Multiple sources:
* "Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: Roots, plant sap from all parts. Not edible. Toxic only if eaten in large quantities. Symptoms include vomiting, stupor, weakness, spasms. Toxic Principle: Resinoid, cardiac glycoside" .
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Uses

Native Americans and European pioneers used the boiled roots to treat diarrhea and respiratory illnesses. The young seed pods were used as food after being boiled in several changes of water. The seed pod down was spun and used to make candle wicks.

The root was once used to treat pleurisy.

Gallery

File:Butterfly Weed Whole Flowering Plant 1676px.jpg, Entire plant from the ground to the flower
File:Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Young Plant 1938px.JPG, Young stems during spring
File:Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Young Leaf 3008px.jpg, A young leaf
File:Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Flower Buds 3008px.jpg, An emerging flower head
File:Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Stalk Closeup 3008px.JPG, Closeup of the hairy stems
File:Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Bud Closeup 2816px.JPG, Closeup of unopened buds
File:Butterfly Weed Entire Flower Head 2608px.jpg, Flower head
File:Butteryfly Weed 3 Stages of Bloom 2240px.jpg, Closeup showing unopened, opening, and fully opened flower buds
File:Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Umbel.jpg, Orange flowers
File:Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Striped.jpg, Red-striped orange flowers
File:Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Yellow.jpg, Yellow flowers
File:Milkweed seedpod in Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge.jpg, Seedpod
File:Asclepias_tuberosa_004.JPG,

References

Further reading

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External links

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Butterfly weed brief information and pictures


Missouri Botanical Garden
''Asclepias tuberosa''



{{Taxonbar, from=Q311131

tuberosa
Butterfly food plants
Flora of Canada
Flora of the Eastern United States
Garden plants of North America
Plants described in 1753
Plants used in traditional Native American medicine
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Plants used in Native American cuisine