| Asclepias meadii | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Asclepias |
| Species: | A. meadii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Asclepias meadii | |
Asclepias meadii is a rare species of milkweed known by the common name Mead's milkweed. It is native to the American Midwest, where it was probably once quite widespread in the tallgrass prairie.[1] Today much of the Midwest has been fragmented and claimed for agriculture, and the remaining prairie habitat is degraded.[1]
The plant is a federally listed threatened species due to this destruction of its habitat.[1] Factors contributing to its rarity include mowing and plowing, highway expansions, erosion, loss of a natural prairie fire regime, pesticides directly applied or drifting from nearby agricultural operations, invasive plant species, trampling by hikers and off-road vehicles, loss of native insect pollinators, deer herbivory, and predation by a number of insect species, including the non-native oleander aphid.[1]
- ^ a b c d "Asclepias meadii - Torr. ex Gray: Mead's Milkweed". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington County, Virginia: NatureServe. Archived from the original on November 14, 2005. Retrieved January 13, 2011.