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Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) unconfirmed as yet due to lack of flower photos
Hudsonville Nature Center, Ottawa County, Michigan, USA - early June, 2017

Kingdom     Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom     Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision     Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division     Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class         Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass     Asteridae
Order         Gentianales
Family         Apocynaceae – Dogbane family
Genus         Apocynum L. – dogbane
Species     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. – spreading dogbane
Symbol:     APAN2
Group:         Dicot
Duration:     Perennial
Growth Habit:     Forb/herb

Synonyms
APAM2     Apocynum ambigens Greene
APANP     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. ssp. pumilum (A. Gray) B. Boivin
APANG2     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. var. glabrum Macoun
APANG4     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. var. griseum (Greene) Bég. & Beloserky
APANI3     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. var. incanum A. DC.
APANI2     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. var. intermedium Woodson
APANP3     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. var. pumilum A. Gray
APANT2     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. var. tomentellum (Greene) B. Boivin
APANW2     Apocynum androsaemifolium L. var. woodsonii B. Boivin
APPU     Apocynum pumilum (A. Gray) Greene
APPUR     Apocynum pumilum (A. Gray) Greene var. rhomboideum (Greene) Bég. & Beloserky
APSC     Apocynum scopulorum Greene ex Rydb.

native to Michigan

U.S. Weed Information - Apocynum androsaemifolium
bitterroot
flytrap dogbane
spreading dogbane

Description: This wildflower is an herbaceous perennial about 1½-3' tall that branches divergently. The stems are light green to red, glabrous, and terete. Pairs of opposite leaves occur along these stems; they are 1½-4" long and ¾-2" across. Individual leaves are oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, pinnately veined, and smooth along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium green and glabrous, while the lower surface is pale green and either hairless or pubescent. The slender petioles are about ¼" in length and light green to red. Generally, the leaves are widely spreading or they have a tendency to droop along the stems. Both the stems and leaves contain milky juice.

The slightly nodding flowers are produced in terminal cymes (flat-headed panicles) spanning 1-4" across.  Individual flowers are about 1/3" (8-9 mm.) long and about the same length across; each flower has a white to pink bell-shaped corolla with 5 spreading to recurved lobes, a small light green calyx with 5 teeth, 5 stamens, and 2 pistils. The stamens form a cone over the merged stigmata of the pistils. There are also 5 nectaries between the bases of the stamens. The interior of the corolla has 5 thick pink stripes that lead to the nectaries. The peduncles and pedicels of the cymes are light green to red and glabrous; individual pedicels are less than 1/3" long. The blooming period occurs during the summer for 1-2 months. There is a sweet floral fragrance. Flowers that have been successfully cross-pollinated produce follicles in pairs. Each follicle is 3-6" long and narrowly cylindrical, tapering gradually to a point. At maturity, it splits open along one side to release small seeds with tufts of hair. The seeds are distributed by the wind. The root system is rhizomatous.

Habitats include upland prairies, sand prairies, sandy savannas, stabilized sand dunes near Lake Michigan, thin sandy woodlands, thinly wooded rocky bluffs, and abandoned sandy fields. Spreading Dogbane tends to be particularly common in areas that are burned over from wildfires. In wooded areas, it is typically found in association with oak trees.

Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated primarily by small bees (particularly Halictid bees) and miscellaneous flies. The floral reward of these visitors is nectar. Other insects feed on the foliage, plant juices, and other parts of Spreading Dogbane. These species include Chrysochus auratus (Dogbane Beetle) and Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Red Milkweed Beetle); they also include caterpillars of the moths Cycnia oregonensis (Oregon Cycnia), Cycnia tenera (Delicate Cycnia), Papaipema baptisiae (Wild Indigo Borer Moth), and Spargaloma sexpunctata (Six-Spotted Gray). Hottes & Frison (1931) observed the following aphids feeding on one or more Apocynum spp. (Dogbanes): Aphis asclepiadis, Aphis citricola, and Macrosiphum gei. The last two aphid species are highly polyphagous. Because the white latex of the foliage is acrid and toxic, mammalian herbivores rarely bother Spreading Dogbane.

Dry sandy or rocky open forests and savannas with such associates as oak, hickory, pine, aspen, sassafras, bracken, sweet-fern; does well after disturbance such as fire or logging, and characteristic of clearings, old fields, shores, roadsides, railroads, fencerows and borders of forests, occasionally sandy prairies.

Variable in several characters, including pubescence and shape of sepals. The mature corolla usually runs about 3 times as long as the calyx, although it is relatively shorter in plants with unusually long narrow calyx lobes. The flowers at maturity are ± pendent or spreading, and in well-developed plants occur in both terminal and axillary cymes.

Plants intermediate with A. cannabinum in corolla length and color, leaf shape and aspect, flower position, and field appearance are presumably hybrids (A. ×floribundum Greene). Other intermediate plants combine small flowers (as in A. cannabinum) with spreading habit and axillary cymes (as in A. androsaemifolium). Some introgression with the parent species doubtless occurs, making herbarium specimens of the hybrid especially difficult to recognize.

found in the majority of upper and lower Michigan counties

Known Hazards -    All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Edible Uses - None known

Possible Medicinal Uses

Spreading dogbane is an unpleasantly bitter stimulant irritant herb that acts on the heart, respiratory and urinary systems, and also on the uterus. It was widely employed by the native North American Indians who used it to treat a wide variety of complaints including headaches, convulsions, earache, heart palpitations, colds, insanity and dizziness. It should be used with great caution, and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner if taking this plant internally. The root contains cymarin, a cardioactive glycoside that is toxic to ruminants. The root is cardiotonic, cathartic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic and expectorant. It has a powerful action in slowing the pulse and also has a very strong action on the vaso-motor system, it is rather an irritant to the mucous membranes though, so some people cannot tolerate it. The juice of the fresh root has been used in the treatment of syphilis. The sap of the plant has been applied externally to get rid of warts. The roots were boiled in water and the water drunk once a week in order to prevent conception. The green fruits were boiled and the decoction used in the treatment of heart and kidney problems and for the treatment of dropsy. This preparation can irritate the intestines and cause unpleasant side-effects.

Other Uses

The bark yields a good quality fibre that is used for making twine, bags, linen etc. It is inferior to A. cannabinum. The fibre is finer and stronger than cotton. It can be harvested after the leaves fall in the autumn but is probably at its best as the seed pods are forming. The plant yields a latex, which is a possible source of rubber. It is obtained by making incisions on the stem and resembles indiarubber when dry.

reference:
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=apan2
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/spr_dogbane.html
http://michiganflora.net/species.aspx?id=152
http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Apocynum+androsaemifolium