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Glite Dictionary
whorled milkweed

whorled milkweed

8.6
A flowering plant with narrow leaves that grow in rings around the stem and small greenish-white flowers
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : algodoncillo en verticilos
  • The prairie was dotted with whorled milkweed blooming among the tall grasses.

Examples

  • Gardeners appreciate the delicate blooms of whorled milkweed in naturalized landscapes.

  • Monarch caterpillars feed on whorled milkweed as a vital part of their life cycle.

  • The whorled milkweed blooms beautifully in the summer.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the whorled milkweed for its unique appearance.

  • In the garden, I spotted the distinct whorled leaves of the whorled milkweed plant.

  • The whorled milkweed attracts various butterflies with its greenish-white flowers.

  • Botanists often study the whorled milkweed to understand its role in local ecosystems.

Synonyms

Asclepias verticillata
vswhorled milkweed
  • Specialized
9.9

A milkweed plant with thin leaves in rings and small light green flower clusters that grows in dry sandy soil

is native to eastern North America rather than only the United States

Surface Forms

whorled milkweed singular
whorled milkweeds plural

Morphology

whorled + milkweed

This is a compositional adjective + noun phrase: 'whorled' means leaves arranged in whorls and 'milkweed' is a plant, so the overall meaning (a milkweed with whorled leaves) is directly derivable from the parts. The construction follows ordinary descriptive patterns in English and in botanical naming, making it immediately understandable to a learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Whorled milkweed is named for how its leaves grow: the word whorled describes leaves that form a neat circle around the stem, like the spokes of a wheel. That's why the name helps people spot this kind of milkweed.