milkweed

milkweed Definition

milk·weed (milk′wēd′)

noun

any of a genus (Asclepias) of perennial plants of the milkweed family, with a milky juice, or latex, and pods which when ripe burst to release plumed seeds
any of various plants with similar milky juice

adjective

designating a large family (Asclepiadaceae, order Gentianales) of dicotyledonous plants with a milky juice, including the anglepods and stapelias

milkweed Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

plant: They put out tubes holding cuttings of milkweed stems with two leaves, whole potted milkweed plants, and microscope slides coated with glycerin.
leave: Losey gave the Monarch larvae in his lab nothing to eat but milkweed leaves heavily dusted with Bt pollen.

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