great catch
tanay
On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 7:04 PM, Bhatt Sweta <[email protected]> wrote:
> Plant Name: *Asclepias curassavica*
> Family: Asclepediaceae
> Location: Ghats of Kaas
> Date: 17th Sept., 2010
>
> *Plant*
>
> *Asclepias curassavica*, commonly called *Mexican Butterfly Weed*, *
> Blood-flower* or *Scarlet Milkweed*, is and introduced species. It is
> grown as an ornamental garden plant and as a source of food for butterflies.
>
> Typically an evergreen perennial that grow up to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and have
> pale gray stems, native of tropical America, and widely dispersed throughout
> the tropics by man as an ornamental. The leaves are arranged oppositely on
> the stems and are lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate shaped ending in acuminate
> or acute tips. Like other members of the genus, the sap is milky.
>
> The flowers are in cymes with 10-20 flowers each. The flowers have
> brilliant red, yellow or orange colored flowers. *Asclepias curassavica*is
> excellent in butterfly gardens or as a cut flower.Flowering occurs nearly
> year round.
>
> The 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) long, fusiform shaped fruits are called follicles.
> The follicles contain tan to brown seeds that are ovate in shape and 6–7 mm
> (0.24–0.28 in) long. The flat seeds have silky hairs that allow the seeds to
> float on air currents when the pod-like follicles dehisce (split open).
>
> *Uses*
>
> The root contains a glycoside, asclepiadin, to which those properties are
> due. In large doses, it causes death, and the plant may be a suspect
> cattle-poison. The plant contains abundant white latex which is used in the
> Caribbean and in the Pacific basin on warts and corns. The plant is
> considered cicitrisant in Madagascar. The stems contain a fibre which can be
> spun. The seed-pods that contain floss surrounding the seeds, is too elastic
> for spinning unless altered by chemical treatment after which it can be spun
> admixed with cotton. In some places in West Africa, the stems are used tied
> in bundles as brooms. The floss can be used for filling pillows. Honey made
> from the plant in Guyana is reported bitter, dark and thick.
>
> --
> *Bhatt Shweta*
> *Asso. Prof.,*
> TCSC,
> *Doctoral Research Student,*
> M.S.U.
>
>
--
*Tanay Bose*
Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant.
Department of Botany.
University of British Columbia .
3529-6270 University Blvd.
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada)
Phone: 778-323-4036 (Mobile)
604-822-2019 (Lab)
[email protected]
