ASCLEPIAS FRUTICOSA

Family and Genus:- See- APOCYNACEAE

Common Name:- Bristly-fruited silkweed

Homotypic Synonyms:- Asclepias salicifolia, Gomphocarpus fruticosus

Meaning:- Asclepias (Gr) For Aesculapius, mythical god of medicine.

Fruticosa (L) Of shrub like habit.

General description:- An erect shrubby perennial.

Stems:-

1) 1-2 m.

Leaves:-

1) 2-10 x 0·3-1 cm, linear-lanceolate, long-pointed, glabrous.

Flower:-

1) Cymes, many-flowered, peduncles, short, pubescent.

2) Corolla, 12-14mm, lobes, ovate-oblong; margins ciliate, white.

3) Corona-segments, cucullate, fleshy.

Fruit:-

1) Follicles, 4-6 x 2-3 cm, cymbiform, inflated, erect, very bristly.

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Habitat:- Damp places, especially riverbanks, often close to the coast, naturalised.

0-500 m.

Distribution:- Introduced, a native of South Africa. Not common on Crete with

restricted distribution.

Flowering time:- May-Sept.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton