North Carolina Wildflowers

Asclepiadaceae>Asclepias lanceolata

Uncommon in the NC coastal plain, flower color varies a bit in this species.

A common color pattern is to have orange-red petals with a lighter yellow-orange corona, as seen here.

A few pairs of opposite, lanceolate leaves are found on the stem.

Leaf detail.

Some individuals have a uniform orange-red flower color.

Apparently very rare, however, is a form with pink-purple flowers! Note, two leaves are missing on the upper stem. Lower leaves show that the arrangement is indeed opposite on this plant.

Lower cauline leaf detail

All three of the above individual plants with the three different flower colors were growing within a few meters of each other in a wet power line savannah habitat.