Asclepiadaceae : The Milkweed Family

To date five species of this family have been collected in the Oapan, San Juan Tetelcingo, and Ameyaltepec area, belonging to the genera, Asclepias (1 species), Funastrum (1 species), Labidostelma (1 species), and Marsdenia (2 species). A consultant from Ameyaltepec identified two types of ikuw chichi (literally 'dog's penis', for the shape of its fruit). One of the two (de welik 'tasty') has edible fruit, while the other (de xwelik 'not tasty') has fruit that is not edible. Despite the closeness of the Nahuatl names, these two plants have been identified as pertaining to distinct genera in Western taxonomy.

The following members of this family have been documented in sources consulted on Guerrero flora: Asclepias curassavica, Asclepias glaucescens, Cryptostegia grandiflora, Cynanchum ligulatum, Gonolobus pectinatus, Marsdenia edulis, Marsdenia lanata, Marsdenia macrophylla, Marsdenia margaritaria, Marsdenia mexicana, Marsdenia sp., Matalea calcicola, Matalea quirosii, Matalea sp., Metastelma lanceolatum, Metastelma schlechtendalii, and Sarcostemma pannosum.

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