Milkweed

Japanese: トウワタ

It is a semi-shrubby perennial plant of the Asclepiadaceae family native to tropical America, but is somewhat sensitive to cold and is therefore treated as an annual in horticulture. It grows to a height of 50-100cm and is entirely hairless. It has opposite lanceolate leaves. From April to September, it produces umbels of flowers from the upper leaf axils. The corolla is reddish yellow with five deep lobes, and the yellow paracorollas are gathered in a cap-like shape. It is used as cut flowers and in potted plants, and the white fluff on the seeds is used as filling. A similar species, willow milkweed, is a perennial plant native to North America, and is cultivated more as cut flowers in Japan than milkweed. It produces orange flowers in summer, but some species also produce red or yellow flowers.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

熱帯アメリカ原産のガガイモ科の半低木状多年草であるが，寒さにやや弱いので園芸上は一年草として扱われている。高さ50〜100cmになり，全体に無毛。披針形の葉を対生する。４〜９月，上部の葉腋から散形に花をつける。花冠は赤黄色で５深裂，黄色の副花冠が冠帽状に集まる。切花，鉢植とするほか，種子についた白い綿毛が詰物になる。類似種のヤナギトウワタは北米原産の多年草で，日本では切花として，トウワタより多く栽培されている。夏にだいだい色の花をつけるが，赤や黄色の花色をもつものもある。

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