Flora of the Hawaiian Islands
Dicotyledon Literature for Asclepias curassavica
Wagner et al., 1990, 1999.
   Apocynaceae -- The Dogbane, Milkweed Family Bibliography
      Asclepias curassavica

Common name(s): butterfly flower, milkweed, bloodflower, butterfly weed, lauhele, laulele, nu`umela, pua `anuhe
General Information
DistributionNative from Florida to South America and the West Indies.In the Hawaiian Islands, naturalized on Ni`ihau, Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Kaho`olawe, Hawai`i.
















Habit
Erect, perennial herb, 6‒8(‒20) dm tall; stems unbranched or many branched, glabrous or puberulent, especially on younger parts.
Leaves
Leaves opposite, short-petiolate; blade lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, narrowly oblong-elliptic, or elliptic, 5‒16 cm long, 1‒3(‒4) cm wide; petiole 1‒2 cm long.
Flowers
Inflorescences an axillary umbellate cyme. Flowers on pedicel 1‒2 cm long; corolla red to reddish orange, lobes ovate to oblong, 4‒7 mm long, reflexed at anthesis, glabrous; corona bright yellow, segments erect, 4‒5 mm long, exceeded by the conspicuous inner horn.
Fruit
Fruit erect, fusiform, 8‒10 cm long, 1‒1.5 cm in diameter.
Chromosomes
2n = 22.