Asclepias purpurascens

Stems stout, erect, to 1 m, puberulent; lvs elliptic to ovate-oblong, 10-15 cm, hairy beneath, broadly cuneate to a petiole 8-25 mm; umbels few or one, terminal and subterminal, many-fld, on peduncles to 5 cm; cor normally purple, its lobes 7-10 mm; hoods pale purple, 5-7 mm, surpassing the gynostegium, without lateral teeth but often somewhat widened near the middle; horns short, flat, incurved; fr downy, without processes. Dry soil; s. N.H. to Va., w. to Wis., Io., Kans., and Okla. June, July.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

©The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

From Flora of Indiana (1940) by Charles C. Deam

Infrequent throughout the state. Usually only one or a few plants are found together. It has various habitats. The most common one is a rather dry, and usually somewhat sandy soil in open woodland and along roadsides. Also found in damp, open woodland about swamps and lakes and even in tamarack bogs.

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Indiana Coefficient of Conservatism: C = 7

Wetland Indicator Status: FACU

Diagnostic Traits: principal leaves opposite, ovate-oblong, puberulent below; umbels terminal, 1-3; corollas purple, fully glabrous; fruits pubescent, smooth.