asclepias

2 definitions found

asclepias - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Asclepias \As*cle"pi*as\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, named from
     Asclepios or Aesculapius.] (Bot.)
     A genus of plants including the milkweed, swallowwort, and
     some other species having medicinal properties.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Asclepias butterfly (Zool.), a large, handsome, red and
        black butterfly (Danais Archippus), found in both
        hemispheres. It feeds on plants of the genus Asclepias.
        [1913 Webster]

asclepias - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Asclepias
      n 1: genus of chiefly North American perennial herbs: silkweed;
           milkweed [syn: Asclepias, genus Asclepias]