A family of flowering plants including milkweed and related species, characterized by their milky sap and clustered flowers.
From the genus name 'Asclepias' (named after the Greek god Asclepius, the healer) plus the botanical suffix '-aceae' used for plant families. Named this way because milkweed was traditionally used medicinally.
Milkweed, the hero plant of this family, evolved an amazing trick: it's the only plant monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, and eating it makes the caterpillars toxic to predators—so the plant basically weaponizes insects as its own defense!
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