~Milkweed

Milkweed is named for its milky juice, which
contains alkaloids, latex, and several other complex
compounds including cardenolides.
Some species are known to be toxic.

Carl Linnaeus named the genus after Asclepius,
the Greek god of healing, because of the many
folk-medicinal uses for the milkweed plants.

Milkweeds (Papegaaiplant / zijdeplant)
is een belangrijke nectarbron voor bijen
en andere nectar naar insecten streven, en een
larvale voedselbron die voor monarch vlinders en
hun verwanten, evenals een verscheidenheid
van andere herbivorous insecten
(met inbegrip van talrijk kevers, motten, en ware insecten) gespecialiseerd aan voer op de installaties ondanks
hun chemische defensie.
Milkweed wordt zo genoemd vanwege zijn melkachtig sap,
dat bevat alkaloïde, caoutchouc, en verscheidene
andere complexe samenstellingen met inbegrip
van cardenolides.
Sommige soorten zijn gekend om te zijn giftig.
LEES HIER MEER!

Pollination in this genus is accomplished in an unusual
manner. Pollen is grouped into complex structures
called pollinia (or "pollen sacs"), rather than being
individual grains or tetrads, as is typical for most plants.
The feet or mouthparts of flower visiting insects
such as bees, wasps and butterflies, slip into one
of the five slits in each flower formed by adjacent
anthers. The bases of the pollinia then mechanically
attach to the insect, pulling a pair of pollen sacs free
when the pollinator flies off. Pollination is effected
by the reverse procedure in which one of the
pollinia becomes trapped within the anther slit.

Asclepias species produce their seeds in follicles.
The seeds, which are arranged in overlapping rows,
have white silky filament-like hairs known as pappus,
silk, or floss. The follicles ripen and split open
and the seeds, each carried by several dried pappus,
are blown by the wind.

Photo's Via
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