An erect, simple or much-branched perennial herb with a somewhat woody base. The stem is branched from the base; leaves 7-15 cm x 1.5-3.0 cm, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute at the base, acuminate at the apex, glabrous; flowers orange-red in many-flowered, shortly peduncled cymes; follicles 6 cm long; seeds 0.6-0.65 cm x 0.4 cm with a thickened margin, coma 2.0-2.5 cm long.

Emetic, cathartic and astringent (root); antidysenteric, anthelmintic, sudorific (leaf juice) ; anti-ovulatory, anti-implantation and cardiotonic (plant)

Floridata
Asclepias curassavica
PIER
Milk Weed

Vincetoxin (root); galitoxin, alpha-mannosidase, alpha-galactosidase, acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, asclepin, and beta-fucosidase.

In piles, gonorrhoea and ringworm (root); in chronic stomach ulcers; haemorrhages and gonorrhoea (leaf juice); for headache (flowers)

All milkweeds are poisonous if ingested, and the milky sap is a skin irritant.

Radford DJ. Gillies AD. Hinds JA. Duffy P. Naturally occurring cardiac glycosides. Med J Aust 1986 May 12;144(10):540-4 .