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ASCLEPIAS CURASSAVICA - TROPICAL MILKWEED.
SynonymAsclepias nivea, Asclepias bicolor. Common name Silkweed, tropical milkweed, bloodflower, cotton bush, sunset flower, pleurisy root, butterflyweed, ipecacuanha, scarlet milkweed, cancerillo, redhead, koningsbloem, tropical butterfly flower, madhar, algodoncillo. Family Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family). Overview This herbaceous plant is native to tropical South America and is a very common perennial roadside weed in Suriname. It has white milky poisonous sap and grows up to a height of about 4'. It has oblanceolate leaves and beautiful scarlet/orange/yellow flowers. Silkweed blooms year around in the tropics and sub-tropics. Sunset flower is a favorite among butterflies, hummingbirds, wasps and beetles as a nectar source. They are a food source for Monarch butterfly larvae. The plant is used medicinally in the tropics for the anodyne properties of its roots. It has also been used in scrofula with great success. 
The seeds, in spindle shaped pods, have a crown of silky hairs and blow into the wind like miniature parachutes.Constituents Resinoid (galitoxin), alpha-mannosidase, alpha-galactosidase, acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, asclepin, and beta-fucosidase. Suriname's traditional medicine Extract of the root is used as an emetic and laxative. Other uses employed are against warts, fever, vomiting and as an expectorant (loosens and expels phlegm from the mucous membranes of the bronchial and nasal passages). . A decoction of the plant is used as an abortifacient (a substance that causes abortion). The roots are known as pleurisy root and used as an expectorant. Hardiness USDA zone 8 B - 11. Propagation Seeds and cuttings. Culture It needs full sun and regular water. Soil should be moist. Bloodflower is very easy to grow, thriving on most, even dry soils. In cooler climates it can be grown as an annual. Grows also in zone 7 but will die in winter. However, it can withstand a few degrees of occasional frost. Butterflyweed will flower from spring to late fall in cooler climates and can be utilized for borders and meadow gardens. |
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