asclepias

British  

/ əˈskliːpɪəs /

noun

1. Sometimes called: milkweed.  any plant of the perennial mostly tuberous genus Asclepias; some are grown as garden or greenhouse plants for their showy orange-scarlet or purple flowers: family Asclepiadaceae

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Etymology

Origin of asclepias

Greek asklēpias swallowwort

Example Sentences

They include various asclepias, tithonia, giant coneflower and the Maryland wild senna, the last a native plant deserving much more garden use.

From Washington Post • May 28, 2019

She hoped also to gather some useful plants,—such as the shkoa, a spinach-like vegetable; asclepias; apotz, a fever-medicine of the genus artemesia, and many other medicinal herbs known to the Indian and used by him.

From The Delight Makers by Bandelier, Adolph Francis Alphonse

Sims' Island furnished a very large addition to Mr. Cunningham's collection, and among the flowers which it produced was a very beautiful sweet-scented asclepias.

From Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Performed between the years 1818 and 1822 — Volume 1 by King, Phillip Parker

I have seen several instances of acute ophthalmia that have terminated in loss of sight from the accidental rubbing of the eye with the hand when engaged in cutting firewood from the asclepias.

From The Nile tributaries of Abyssinia, and the sword hunters of the Hamran arabs by Baker, Samuel White, Sir

Burman relates that, in the latter country, when cow's milk is wanting, the milk of this asclepias is used; and that the ailments commonly prepared with animal milk are boiled with its leaves.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 2 by Humboldt, Alexander von