Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Slender upright perennial, to 0.5 m, branching only at the base and terminating in an umbel of very small greenish-white flowers.

Leaves: The smooth linear shaped leaves are opposite and attached directly to the stem, each 1-4 inches long and less than a quarter of an inch wide.

Flowers: The flowers are less than a quarter of an inch across and are in a solitary umbel or are one of several at the upper nodes, the flowers are greenish-white outside with a white interior.

Fruits: The upright pods are narrow and smooth and 2-4 inches long, usually bearing one to several on each plant.

Ecology: Found in dry prairies, from 5,500 to 6,500 feet; flowers May through September.

Distribution: From s AZ along the border to s TX and south through Sonora to Sinaloa and Durango.

Notes: This plant is highly favored for monarch nectaring.

Etymology: Asclepias is named for the Greek God of healing Asklepios, while linearis means linear or lined.

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley 2014, AHazelton 2015