Witnessed by: Western
Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), of the Apocynaceae family. Erect perennial of wet ground with lance-shaped leaves, pink flower umbels and milky sap; native range: wet meadows, marshes and streambanks of eastern and central North America. Globally recognized as swamp milkweed · rose milkweed · white Indian hemp · flesh-coloured asclepias in English. The part used is root. A knotty, whitish root, bitter and acrid, with a faintly nauseous taste.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
SWAMP MILKWEED
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- swamp milkweed
- Scientific name
- Asclepias incarnata L.
- Family
- Apocynaceae
Form
- Part used
- root
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Western
- bitter · acrid
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Western
- diuretic, anthelmintic, diaphoretic, and emetic and cathartic in large doses
Cautions
- Toxicity
- milkweeds carry cardioactive glycosides; large doses are emetic and purgative and may disturb the heart
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