Asclepiadoideae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Asclepiadaceae |
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| Matelea denticulata | |
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Asclepiadoideae
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The milkweed family, also known as Asclepiadaceae, is a group of plants that used to be considered a separate family. Now, scientists usually place them as a smaller group, called a subfamily (the Asclepiadoideae), within a larger plant family called the Apocynaceae.
These plants are quite diverse! Most are plants that live for many years (called perennials). They can be small herbs, shrubs that twist around other plants, or even lianas (woody vines that climb high into trees). Some are even special plants called 'stem succulents' that don't have leaves and store water in their stems, like cacti. All these plants belong to a larger group called the Gentianales order. Their name, Asclepiadaceae, comes from a well-known type of plant in this group, the Asclepias or milkweeds.
Images for kids
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Microloma calycinum, Richtersveld, South Africa
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Ceropegia candelabrum
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Caralluma acutangula, Burkina Faso
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Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Burkina Faso
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Stapelia gigantea
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Marsdenia floribunda
See also
In Spanish: Asclepiadoideae para niños
