Asclepias

 Apocynaceae (Asclepiadaceae)

Milkweed

©The World Botanical Associates Web Page
Prepared by Richard W. Spjut
May 2004, Feb 2014, July 2014

Asclepias albicans
Chuckwalla Mts., CA
Spjut 15737, Mar 2004

 

Asclepias californica
East Kern Canyon Trail along the Kern River near the southwest area of Lake Isabella, CA.
08 Apr 2012

 

Asclepias eriocarpa
Kern Co., CA. Tehachapi Mts., Bear Mt., above Bear Valley Springs, 16 July 2014

Asclepias eriocarpa
Kern Co., CA
Spjut 15737, Mar 2004


 

 



Asclepias erosa
29 Palms, CA
Spjut 16149, 12 Oct 2007

Other Asclepias species with archival records on collections made by the USDA Agricultural Research for the NCI antitumor screening program.

Asclepias curassavica

 

Asclepias subulata



Asclepias vestita
Los Angeles Co., W Mojave Desert
near Palmdale, CA

 

Asclepias albicans—epacunin, a sesquiterpene active in WA and PS (T/C 135), was isolated by Kupchan (Hartwell 1976).

Kupchan S. M., J. R. Knox, J. E. Kelsey, and J. A. Saenzrenauld.  1964.  Calotropin, a cytotoxic principle isolated from Asclepias curassavica L. Science 146: 1685–1686 (also noted in Hartwell 1976).

Koike K., C. Bevelle, S. K. Talapatra, G. A. Cordell and N. R. Farnsworth. 1980. Potential anticancer agents. V. Cardiac glycosides of Asclepias albicans (Asclepiadaceae).
Chem. Pharm. Bull. (Tokyo) 28(2): 401–405.