Family: Apocynaceae
Asclepias curassavica
Citation:
L., Sp. Pl. 215 (1753).
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: Redhead cotton-bush, red-cotton.
Description:
Perennial c. 1 m high; stems finely fibbed, with hairs straight or bent; petioles c. 7 mm long, scabrous; leaves scabrous, 7-15 cm long, 6-25 mm wide, opposite or in 3's, lanceolate-elliptic, margins tightly inrolled, appearing thickened, midrib and veins prominent below, veins unbranched.
Inflorescence axillary or terminal, umbellate, with 5-9 flowers; peduncles c. 4.5 cm long at maturity; pedicels 2-2.5 cm long at maturity, erect, filiform, scabrous; sepals scabrous; corolla-lobes 5, dark-red, deflexed in flower; corona-lobes 5, with orange centre.
Follicles lanceolate in outline, c. 6 cm long, c. 1 cm wide; seeds c. 6 mm long, c. 3 mm wide, flat, with a coma of silky hairs c. 1.5 cm long.
Distribution:
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S.Aust.: FR, EP. native to the West Indies.
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Conservation status:
naturalised
Flowering time: ?summer.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
Reported cases of poisoning of dairy cattle during drought periods.
Author:
Not yet available
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