Asclepias labriformis M.E.Jones
Family: Apocynaceae
Utah Milkweed
Asclepias labriformis image
Nabhan et al 2015

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Erect and upright perennial to 50 cm, with smooth stems as it gets older.

Leaves: The leathery leaves are opposite to almost opposite with the blades less than 6 inches long and never more than three-quarters of an inch wide, with a patch of hair at the base of the midrib.

Flowers: The umbels have a gently rounded flat top and bear a few to many yellowish flowers. The faintly scented flowers are creamy yellow to yellowish-green and are each less than a half-inch across.

Fruits: The smooth pods are pendulous and 1-3 inches long.

Ecology: Found in dry sandy soils along washes where there is moist subsoil, from 3,500- 7,000 ft (1067-2143 m); flowers late May through August.

Distribution: Found in Utah from the southern Canyonlands region northeast into the Uinta basin.

Notes: Cronquist, et al. (1984) noted that it is considered one of the most poisonous of all western range plants and is endemic to Utah.

Synonyms: none

Editor: AHazelton 2015