Asclepias

Woodson, R. E., Jr. 1947. Some dynamics of leaf variation m Asclepias tuberosa. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 34 353-432. 

Biometric evidence of natural selection in Asclepias tuberosa. Proc. Nat l. Acad. 

Asclepias (milkweeds), and eardiotoxie genins from Nerium (oleander)(Knight and Walter, 2001). 

Three 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines (24b, 24c, and 24d) are detected as odor components in the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Table III). The wide variability in pyrazine content observed with this insect is correlated with similar variability in the larval food plants, Asclepias sp. It seems possible that the pyrazines may be one of the factors implicated in the food choice mechanism (69). 

In contrast to corresponding flavones, only a few structures are reported with a pyrano-substitution, mostly of the chromeno-type between the 7-OH and the neighboring C-8. Major sources are roots, aerial parts, and leaves from Rutaceae, Moraceae, and Fabaceae. The earlier reported Asclepias syriaca (Asclepiadaceae) affords a rare source of such structures. So far, the corresponding 7,6-chromeno structures (sarothranol) are known only from whole plants of Hypericum japonicum (Hypericaceae). ... 

Xylosyl(l 2)galactoside Asclepias syriaca flowers Asclepiadaceae 379... 

Sikorska, M. and Matlawska, I., Kaempferol, isorhamnetin and their glycosides in the flowers of Asclepias syriaca L., Acta Pol. Pharm., 58, 269, 2001. 

Cycnia inopinatus. Larvae of this arctlld develop on Asclepias humistrata, a milkweed species that contains very high levels of cardenolldes. The hemolymph of the larvae sequesters and maintains these steroids at very high levels, thus insuring that internal concentrations of allelochemlcs will always be substantial. Significantly, the blood stores a predominance of polar cardenolldes which appear to be retained in this fluid medium throughout metamorphic development (26). 

Although this family is pantropical, most of its members are South American. A few genera extend into temperate regions one of these is Lhc familiar milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. Some are ornamentals, some yield rubber, others are livestock poisons. The taxonomy of the family is not a matter of general agreement. 

In this study, 182 species were tested with the following previously known alkaloidal plants found positive Asclepias curas-savica (2/13), A. linaria (2/5), Calotropis giganlea (1/3), Ectadiop-sis oblongijblia (1/2), Marsdenia condurango. 

Asclepias (Asclepias syriaca L.-A. cornuti Des.) honey is produced from the fragrant nectar of this valuable honey plant. 

Steroidal glycosides containing 1-3 D-digitoxose residues in the oligosaccharides were isolated from other Asclepias spp.114,115... 

T. Warashina and T. Noro, Steroidal glycosides from the aerial part of Asclepias incarnate, Phytochemistry, 53 (2000) 485-498. 

F. Abe, Y. Mori, and T. Yamauchi, Steroidal constituents from roots stem of Asclepias fruti-cosa, Chem. Pharm. Bull., 42 (1994) 1777-1783. 

Fishbein M. and Venable L. D. (1996) Diversity and temporal change in the effective pollinators of Asclepias tuberosa. Ecology 77, 1061-1073. 

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