asclepias

‖ n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;, named from Asclepios or Aesculapius. ] (Bot.) A genus of plants including the milkweed, swallowwort, and some other species having medicinal properties. [ 1913 Webster ]

Asclepias butterfly (Zool.), a large, handsome, red and black butterfly (Danais Archippus), found in both hemispheres. It feeds on plants of the genus Asclepias. [ 1913 Webster ]