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Asclepias hypoleuca

Asclepias hypoleuca (A. Gray) Woodson

Mahogany Milkweed

Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: ASHY5

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Perennial, 30-100 cm tall with erect, unbranched, tomentose (covered with a dense layer of short, matted, woolly hairs) stems. Opposite leaves, oblong to ovate, 4-15 cm long, 2-10 cm wide on petioles 3-15 cm long; green, glabrous or with sparse hairs on upper surface, whitened on under surface by dense curly hairs. Inflorescences are umbels, 5-8 cm broad located terminally and laterally on uppermost nodes on peduncles 2-15 cm long. Corolla lobes of individual flowers 8-11 mm long; greenish on outside, purplish inside. Hoods, 6-10 mm long are purple, erect and ascending. Follicles are erect on deflexed pedicels, 8-12 cm long. (Webref 23)

"The densely tomentose herbage and underside of the leaves can be distinctive, along with the nodding umbel, ending in reddish corolla." "Hypoleuca means whitish beneath." (Webref 23)