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Photo of the
Week:
Common milkweed (Asclepias
syriaca) is named for its milky sap. I photographed these
milkweed flowers near my house in late June. They smelled wonderful
to me and apparently also to the many bees feeding on their nectar.
The sap contains a
toxin that few animals can tolerate. Two animals that can ingest the
sap without harm are monarch butterfly caterpillars and milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus
fasciatus). The toxin helps protect these insects by making them
taste bad to predatory birds. Both insects advertise this fact by
being brightly colored in orange and black.
In late summer and
early fall, these flowers become seed pods that release seeds on feathery
parachutes. These photos were taken at the Shenendehowa
Field Study Area in
August and September.
 
Other weekly photos: 
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