Milkweed Plant

Milkweed
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Milkweed is a lovely wildflower that grows throughout the U.S. The plant is crucial for monarch butterflies' survival. All its parts comprise toxic cardiac glycosides that can cause diarrhea, nausea, seizures, small amounts of confusion, and weakness. Besides, the plant can trigger eye and skin irritation if touched. Milkweed ornamental plants are toxic to animals. Such species comprise horses that can die from the plant's poison (Turner, 2017). The common Milkweed is 3 to 4 inches tall with oval leaves. The plant also produces orange and red flowers. When its stem breaks, it creates a thick milky sap. The plant's seed pod contains many seeds, each characterized by silky white hair tufts.
Milkweed's popularity and importance can be linked to multiple aspects. The factors include the fact that it does not rely on a specific environment to grow. The plant is also home to monarch butterflies and commonly grows in the sandy soil of foothills and plains. Although Milkweed is popular for its poison, numerous websites offer recipes for preparing fried milkweed shoots, pods, and elixirs (National Capital Poison Center, 2020). Some websites reveal that cardiac glycosides in Milkweed are soluble in water, making the plant safe for eating if cooked properly. However, no evidence proves that the above argument is correct. Whether boiled or cooked, eating Milkweed is not advisable and is potentially dangerous. The plant's toxicity is high just before its maturity. Cardiac glycosides' highest concentrations exist in Milkweed's latex fluid, followed by the stems, roots, and leaves. Poisoning frequently occurs in cattle, sheep, and sometimes horses, causing death.
The poison emanates from consuming 30 to 100 grams of green l...