Asclepias sperryi
| Asclepias sperryi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Asclepias sperryi in flower | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Asclepias |
| Species: | A. sperryi |
| Binomial name | |
| Asclepias sperryi | |
Asclepias sperryi is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to southwestern Texas in the United States and adjacent northeastern Mexico (Coahuila), where it occurs in desert and dry shrubland habitats.[2]
Taxonomy
The species was first described in 1941 by botanist Robert E. Woodson Jr. in the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden.[3]
Description
Asclepias sperryi is a low, highly branched subshrub reaching about 15 cm (5.9 in) in height. The stems are slender, suberect, and may be minutely pubescent or nearly glabrous.[3]
Leaves are narrow and linear, 1–5 cm long and about 0.5 mm wide, sessile, and typically glabrous.[3]
Flowers are borne singly on lateral pedicels approximately 1 cm long. The corolla is pale green, often tinged with purple, with spreading lobes 0.5–0.6 cm long.[3]
The corona is distinctive, with papillate hood structures that are unusually shaped compared to other North American species. The fruits are narrow, smooth follicles up to about 6 cm (2.4 in) long.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs in western Texas, particularly in Brewster County, including the Glass Mountains, and extends into northeastern Mexico.[2][3]
It inhabits arid environments typical of desert and dry shrubland ecosystems.[2]
Etymology
The species is named in honor of botanist Omer E. Sperry for his contributions to the study of the flora of western Texas.[3]
Conservation
Asclepias sperryi is ranked G4 (apparently secure) by NatureServe, though its status has not been recently reviewed.[1] In the United States it is ranked N3, and within Texas it is considered vulnerable (S3).[1]
References
- 1 2 3 "Asclepias sperryi". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Asclepias sperryi". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Woodson, Robert E.; Maguire, Bassett (1941). "Two new asclepiads from the southwestern United States". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 28: 245–248. Retrieved 24 March 2026.