Portfolio: Medicinal Plants of the Sicangu Lakota

Investigation

Asclepias verticillata also known as the whorled milkweed by Jake

1sagebrush24

Asclepias verticillata flower and plant. ©  1sagebrush24

Lakota name: Waĥpẻ tiŋpsila
sound iconListen to Lakota Plant Name: waĥpé tiŋ'psila

Scientific name: Asclepias verticillata

Common name: Whorled milkweed

Lakota medicinal uses: Lakota mothers use it when they don't have milk.

Toxicity: Very poisonous to livestock but is unpalatable and rarely consumed. It can cause problems when fed in hay.

Secondary compounds: The plant produces substances called cardenolides.  A study says that the more cardenolides that you have in the trichomes (the hairs on the leaf) the better chance you have of reducing attacks by aphids, Aphis nerii.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

Molecular structure of a cardenolide © 1sagebrush24

Description: Whorled milkweed is a single or sparingly stemmed un-branched perennial, commonly over 2 feet tall. The narrow linear leaves are whorled along the stem. Small greenish-white flowers occur in flat-topped clusters on the upper part of the stem. Leaf base clasping the stem, strictly glabrous, sessile, ovate blades. Flowers have corolla lobes 4-5 mm long with a greenish-white color.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

Asclepias verticillata. Left: leaves and flowers © . Right: close-up of flowers © Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, United States.

Similar species: Carolina milkweed, Mexican milkweed

Flowering period: June to September

Distribution: It is located in all states except:  Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Habitat: Prairies, pastures, open woods, roadsides, and railroads.

References

Agrawal, A. A. 2004. Plant defense and density dependence in the population growth of herbivores. American Naturalist 164(1):113-120.

Education Standards

State Education Standards

National Education Standards

CONTENT STANDARD A: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop

CONTENT STANDARD B: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop an understanding of

CONTENT STANDARD C: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of

CONTENT STANDARD E: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop

CONTENT STANDARD F: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of

CONTENT STANDARD G: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of

About This Page

Author: 1sagebrush24
Classroom Project: Medicinal Plants of the Lakota Sioux
Lead-Deadwood High School
Lead, South Dakota United States

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to , Lead-Deadwood High School

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About This Portfolio
I would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their help with this project:

Robin Cochran-Dirksen
Lead-Deadwood High School

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Robin Cochran-Dirksen at

All Rights Reserved.

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