Asclepias L. (1753), the milkweeds,'s a genus of herbaceous perennial, dicotyledonous plants that contains over 140 known species. It previously belonged to the family Asclepiadaceae, but this's now classified as a subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae. Milkweeds are an important nectar source for bees and other nectar seeking insects, and a larval food source for monarch butterflies and their relatives, as well as a variety of other herbivorous insects (including numerous… (More on Milkweed)