Asclepias cryptoceras

Asclepias cryptoceras

Asclepias cryptoceras is a species of the genus milkweed ( Asclepias ) in the subfamily of the milkweed family ( Asclepiadoideae ). It is widespread in western North America.

  • 4.1 Notes and references

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Asclepias cryptoceras is a perennial, herbaceous plant. The low -lying up lying, simple or branched directly at the base stems are slightly stiffened, flattened, 10 to 30 cm long and are essentially bare. The leaves are arranged opposite constantly on the stem. The petioles are usually hardly trained, but can be long and up to about 5 mm. The simple leaf blade with a length 4-9 cm and a width of 4 to 8 cm breiteiförmig or nearly round with a broadly rounded or slightly heart-shaped base and a rounded or broadly obtuse tip. You are bald, gray-green and with a waxy coating that can be easily rubbed off.

Generative features

The end or the side of the top node ( nodes present ) standing over a barely trained or up to about 7 cm long inflorescence stem, doldigen inflorescences contain a few to several flowers. The flower stems are slender, hairless and up to 4 cm long.

The relatively large flower is hermaphrodite, radial symmetry and fünfzählig. The five sepals are narrow lance-shaped with a length of 6 to 7 mm. The five petals bend back far and are of a greenish to yellowish color. The corolla lobes are 1 to 1.5 cm long. There are five stamens present. The Gynostegium is colored sessile and purple. The corona lobes are hollowed deep and have two distinct peaks. They are 6-9 mm long, making it about the same as the pen or attached even slightly longer and fixed over the entire length of the stylus. The stylus has a length of 3 to 3.5 mm and a diameter of 4 to 5 mm. The flowering period extends, depending on the location of April to June.

The outside bald follicles stand upright on upright stems. You are provided with a length of 4-7 cm and a diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 cm wide spindle-shaped and with a short tip. The seeds are broadly ovate with a length of about 1 cm and have a light brown, 1.5 to 2.5 cm long hair.

Occurrence

Asclepias cryptoceras is widespread in North America. It occurs in the U.S. states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho and California. It occurs at altitudes 1400-1700 meters. It grows in the higher desert-like areas ( altitude 1500 meters) and in the chaparral.

System

The first description of Asclepias cryptoceras was made in 1871 by Sereno Watson in Botany, 283, pl. 28, f 1-4 in Clarence King: United States Geological Exploration of the 40th Parallel, Volume 5 The specific epithet cryptoceras derives from the Greek words for Crypto's hidden and keras for horn and refers to a horn-like structure in the flower.

It can be distinguished from Asclepias cryptoceras two subspecies:

  • Asclepias cryptoceras S.Watson subsp. cryptoceras
  • Asclepias cryptoceras subsp. davisii ( Woodson ) Woodson

Swell

  • Eric Sundell: Asclepiadaceae Milk Weed Family, In: Journal of the Arizona - Nevada Academy of Sciences, 27, pp. 169-187, Tempe, Ariz. 1994: PDF
  • Robert E. Woodson, Jr.: The North American species of Asclepias L., In: Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 41 (1 ), pp. 1-211, St. Louis, Mo., 1954 URL
  • Jepson Manual Treatment - Asclepias cryptoceras.
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