Description: Mead’s milkweed is an
inconspicuous member of the milkweed family. Its stems, leaves and flowers
are green. The plants are normally about 20 inches tall, but can grow to
nearly 40 inches. The plants have up to six pairs of two- to three-inch
long, teardrop-shaped leaves attached directly to the stem. Each plant has
from one to 26 flowers forming an umbel (a
single inverted umbrella-shaped cluster). The fruits are up to
three inches long and release seeds from mid-September to
mid-October.
Habitat and
Habits: Mead’s milkweed occurs in moist tall grass prairies
with a fairly high species diversity. Mead’s milkweed flowers in
lat May to last June. The flowers are fragrant and are pollinated
by bumble and digger bees. Plants may take five to eight years to
reach flowering size. This species can reproduce vegetatively, but
this may only maintain an existing population. Reproduction by seed
is essential for colonizing new sites and increasing existing
populations. However, this does not take place frequently in most
populations. Many colonies are apparently too small (a typical size
in Iowa is fewer than 20 plants) to attract pollinators, or the
prairie remnant on which they occur may be too small to support a
good population of pollinators.
Distribution: Mead’s milkweed
occurs in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. It formerly was also
known in Indiana and Wisconsin. In Iowa, Mead’s milkweed once
occurred in at least five counties in the southern half of the
state. Currently, the species occurs on seven sites in six
counties.
Conservation Efforts: Like
other prairie species, Mead’s milkweed is threatened because of the
loss of prairie habitat. Protections efforts have concentrated on
working with landowners to insure that these few remaining
populations are protected.
Reasons For Listing: The conversion of
prairie to other uses and overgrazing of pasture has nearly eliminated
suitable habitat for this species.
