Asclepias arenaria

Nabhan et al 2015

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Erect stout plant, to 0.7 m tall, from a thick rootstock; the stems are usually solitary and covered in fuzzy whitish hairs Leaves: Opposite leaves appear woolly, are broadly oval, and appear almost square with a prominent mid-vein, they are less than four inches long and three inches wide and tipped with a small sharp point. Flowers: flowering umbel at the end that has greenish cream flowers tinged with purple. Few to several umbels grow out of the leaf axils in the upper half of the plant, often clustered tightly against the stem. The flowers are greenish with cream to white hoods. Fruits: Produces a smooth upright pod that is 2.5-3.5 inches long and no more than an inch wide. Ecology: Found primarily on sandy soils, from 500 to 6,500 ft (152-1981 m); flowers May through August. Distribution: Found in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas along the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert and north through the Great Plains to South Dakota, as well as south into Chihuahua. Synonyms: None Editor: AHazelton 2015