Asclepias ovalifolia

Asclepias ovalifolia
Secure
Secure (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:
A. ovalifolia
Binomial name
Asclepias ovalifolia
Decne.

Asclepias ovalifolia, commonly called oval-leaved milkweed or dwarf milkweed, is a species of flowering plant in the milkweed genus and dogbane family (Apocynaceae). It is native to South Central Canada and the Northern Midwest of the United States.[2]

Description

It is a monoecious perennial plant that is shorter than most other milkweeds, reaching 30–70 cm (12–28 inches) in total height. Pairs of ovoid leaves grow directly from the stem and give the plant its common name. Its white flowers bloom from late May through early July. Follicles develop from fertilized flowers between July and September and contain many long haired seeds. Like most milkweeds, this species produces a milky sap in its tissues. The sap is toxic, containing cardiac glycosides, but some species have adapted to eat the plant without harm, notably the monarch butterfly. [3][4]

Distribution and habitat

Ovalleaf milkweed is the northernmost-ranging species in the genus Asclepias. The core of its range is Minnesota, North Dakota, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. It is also found in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Ontario.[3]

The plants preferred habitat is dry upland prairie, oak savanna, and pine barrens. Wildfire in natural environments or overstory thinning in managed ones is preferred by the species as its shorter stature means it can be crowded out by taller prairie plants.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org.
  2. ↑ NRCS. "Asclepias ovalifolia". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). "Asclepias ovalifolia". Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 26 July 2026 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  4. ↑ Benda, Christopher D. "Oval-leaved Milkweed". www.fs.usda.gov. Washington DC: US Forest Service. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
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