It is a genus of plants, also called Asclepias. They were dedicated to Asclepius, Asclepius or Aesculapius, god of the Medficina and the Healing of the Romans. They are also called milkweed, common milkweed, Syrian milkweed or thlalayotl. They belong to the Family Apocynaceae and there are more than 200 species. This family is also often referred to as Asclepiadaceae. They are basic for the metamorphosis of the Monarch butterfly since it is host of caterpillars and base of the feeding. The most representative species is Asclepias syriaca. .
ASCLEPIA Asclepias syriaca The thlalayotl {in Mexico, species of perennial plants, dicotyledons, of the family of apocinaceae. Generally its flowers take a form of hemispherical display. It was one of the first North American species described by Cornut in 1635, in Canadensium plantarum historia. It is commonly known as milkweed It is an indispensable plant for the life cycle of the monarch, as it is the only source of food for caterpillars. The survival of the butterfly depends on the availability of this host plant.