
In Missouri, milkweeds are perennial herbs or twining vines. Most have white latex (milky sap), but some have clear sap. Leaves are simple, most commonly opposite; blades variously shaped but often somewhat wavy. The unique, 5-parted flowers grow in rounded clusters (umbels). The 5 calyx lobes are spreading or reflexed. The 5 corolla lobes are spreading, reflexed, or erect. In the center of the flower, the stigmas and anthers are fused into a 5-lobed or angled headlike structure called a gynostegium. Surrounding the gynostegium is a 5-parted corona (crown) of variously shaped petal-like structures that can resemble hoods or horns. Pollen is contained in pairs of tiny sacs called pollinia; these entire sacs are used in pollination. There are 2 separate pistils per flower, below the gynostegium. Each pistil has a single chamber. The fruits (follicles) are podlike, sometimes growing in pairs. Each fruit contains numerous seeds, which are usually flattened and have a tuft of long, silky hairs at the tip.

Habitat and Conservation
Status
Life Cycle
Human Connections
Ecosystem Connections





























