Milkweed, Asclepias

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. 

Smith RA, Mooney KA, Agrawal AA (2008) Coexistence of three specialist aphids on common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. Ecology 89 2187-2196 Stadler B, Dixon AFG (2005) Ecology and evolution of aphid-ant interactions. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Systemat 36 345-372... 

Lee, S. M. and J. N. Seiber, Biosynthetic preparation of cardenolides from [l- C]acetic acid by stem discs of the milkweed Asclepias curassavica, Ph3dochemistry, 22, 923-927 (1983). 

Malcolm, S. B., B. J. Cockrell, and L. P. Brower, Cardenolide fingerprint of monarch butterflies reared on common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca L., J. Chem. Ecol., 15, 819-853 (1989). 

Martin, R, A. and S. P. Lynch, Cardenolide content and thin-layer chromatography profiles of monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus L., and their larval host-plant milkweed, Asclepias asperula subsp. capricornu (Woods.) Woods., in North Central Texas, J. Chem. Ecol., 14, 295-318 (1988). 

Profiles and Emetic Potency of Monarch Butterflies Danaus plexippus Reared on the Milkweed Asclepias eriocarpa in California. J. Chem. Ecol. 8, 579-633 (1982). 

The milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) is a tall plant containing a milky juice in all its parts, native to eastern parts of North America, and naturalized in various parts of Europe. It is a perennial plant that can adapt to adverse soil conditions (e.g., dry and... 

Prob. also from white elm (Ulmus americana), milkweed (Asclepias sysiaca) floss and oat hull hemicelluloses. Cryst. 

Brower, L. P., Seiber, J. N., Nelson, C. J., Lynch, S. P. andTuskes, P. M. (1982)Plant-determined variation in the cardenolide content, thin-layer chromatography profiles, and emetic potency of monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, reared on the milkweed, Asclepias eriocarpa, in California. J. Chem. Ecol., 8, 579-633. 

Isman, M. B., Duffey, S. S. and Scudder, G. G. E. (1977) Cardenolide content of some leaf- and stem-feeding insects on temperate North American milkweeds (Asclepias spp.). Can. J. ZooL, 55, 1024-8. 

Caterpillars feeding on poisonous milkweed (Asclepias) developed into poisonous monarch butterflies, but when raised on a nonpoisonous species of GonolobuSy they developed into nonpoisonous butterflies. The poisonous principle of milkweeds (not an alkaloid, but a steroid glucoside) turned out, in the course of adaptive evolution, to be a disadvantage to the plant because it no longer protected the plant from caterpillars, but it still protected the insect from predation by birds. 

Jesse, L.C.H. and J.J. Obrycki. 2003. Occurrence of Danaus plexippus L. (Lepidoptera Danaidae) on milkweeds Asclepias syriaca) in transgenic Bt corn agroecosystems. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 97 225-233. 

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