Plant: perennial herb; stems erect, unbranched, 40-150 cm tall, shaggy pilose

Leaves: opposite, subsessile, the petioles 2-5 mm long, the blades ovate-elliptic, 6-25 cm long, 3-16 cm broad, rounded to shallowly cordate and more or less clasping at the base, rounded to truncate or retuse at the apex, apiculate, pilose to pubescent beneath, sparsely so above, the margins ciliate

INFLORESCENCE: UMBELS subterminal at the uppermost nodes, 5-8 cm broad, the peduncles 3-12 cm long

Flowers: large; calyx lobes 4-5 mm long; corolla green to purplish outside, greenish inside, the lobes 9-11 mm long; hoods pale pink, erect-spreading, oblong-quadrate in the lower portion, more or less recurved-divergent at the middle, attenuate to the apex, 7-8 mm long along the dorsal surface, 5-8 mm broad at the top, 4-6 mm longer than the gynostegium, the horns radially flat, attached at the base of the hoods, oblong, erect, exserted ca. 1 mm; anther wings 2.5-2.6 mm long; corpusculum 0.4-0.5 mm long, the pollinia 1.6 mm long

Fruit: FOLLICLES erect on deflexed pedicels, 9-12 cm long

Misc: Canyons and roadsides, open woodlands, mts; 1600-2150 m (5300-7000 ft); Jul-Aug

REFERENCES: Sundell, Eric. 1994. Asclepiadaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 27, 169-187.

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Perennial herb, 40-150 cm tall; stems stout, erect, and unbranched; herbage covered with shaggy hairs; plants with milky sap.

Leaves: Opposite, subsessile with petioles 2-5 mm long; blades ovate-elliptic, 6-25 cm long, 3-16 cm wide, the base rounded to shallowly heart shaped and generally clasping, the apex rounded to truncate, the margins ciliate, lower surface pilose to pubescent, upper surface sparsely so.

Flowers: Cream to lavender, large, in subterminal umbels in the upper nodes, 5-8 cm across, on peduncles 3-12 cm long; corolla green to purplish outside, greenish inside, with lobes 9-11 mm; hoods pale pink, erect to spreading; horns radially flat, attached at base of hoods and sticking out 1 mm; calyx lobes 4-5 mm long.

Fruits: Follicle erect on deflexed pedicels that are 9-12 cm long.

Ecology: Found in open woodlands, often in canyons and in disturbed sites from 5,000-7,000 ft (1524-2134 m); flowers July-August.

Distribution: Reaches its northern limit in the Madrean Arcipelago (Sky Islands of s AZ) and ranges south into Mexico as far as Jalisco.

Notes: The best key to this species is the height of the plant, up to 5 ft tall. Similar to the more widespread A. latifolia but taller, covered with shaggy hairs, and with light pink to lavender flowers (A. latifolia has whitish-greenish flowers).

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Asclepias is named for the Greek god of healing Asklepios, while lemmonii is named for Sara Lemmon (1836-1923) and her husband John (1832-1908), American botanists known for their work in the Southwest.

Synonyms: Asclepias chapalensis

Editor: SBuckley 2011, 2014, AHazelton 2015